Earth and Stone
by toshirostalker
Summary: Harry is 5 when his world gets turned on its head. With new powers, new looks, and a new life, he is ready to take his own fate into his own hands. With the help of Stripe, the friendly snake, Harry goes on a journey to find out who, and what, he is, all while getting strong enough to make a place for himself in this cruel world. Yaoi when Harry gets older. Harem. Creature!Harry
1. Harry is a Boy

Harry Potter was a very curious boy. But then, if you were raised the way he was, curiosity would be your friend as well. Growing up, Harry was an abused child. Yes, by abuse I am implying that his family was not caring for him the way he should. He is forced to do all the chores in their average-sized house and was given very little reward for his actions, usually in the form of his next, meagre meal. Harry's room was nothing more than the small cupboard under the stairs, where a thin, used, infant's mattress and a thin blanket were placed. His uncle, Vernon, and aunt, Petunia, were often cruel to the boy, beating him for the smallest of mistakes alongside working him to the bone, and it wasn't made any better thanks to his cousin, Dudley's, schemes at getting him into trouble. It had been this way ever since Harry was dropped on their doorstep, number 4, Privet Drive, on Halloween of 1981 at one and a half years old.

Harry's Uncle Vernon was a large man, with a body shaped like a walrus and a face that turned a startling shade of purple whenever he was angry, almost always about Harry. He worked at Grunning's Drill Company as a sales manager, and managed to bring in enough money to afford a higher than average lifestyle. Their home was slightly better than average, and located in Little Whinging, Surrey in England. It was a little piece of suburbia, where all the houses looked exactly the same and where housewives like Aunt Petunia looked over their fences to spy on the neighbors for the next juicy piece of gossip.

Speaking of Aunt Petunia; she was a horse-like woman, with a skinny, shapeless body and a long neck. She always walked with her nose pointed slightly up, as if to look down on everyone else, but it only served to make her neck seem longer. Her one main trait, though, was her absolute jealousy over Harry himself.

Harry was born a beautiful child. He had almond-shaped eyes that almost seemed too large for his face, and were colored a shimmering, emerald green that seemed to glow. He was a slender child, not at all like his cousin Dudley who was rather shaped like a baby whale, and that slender figure was almost sharpened from hunger due to the number of times he went without a meal. Harry's skin glowed a creamy peach color, and his hair was as black as a raven's wing, a sharp contrast from his relatives' universal straw blond. His hair was wavy, styled with bangs that brushed his perfect eyebrows and long enough to brush his shoulders due to the problems cutting it. It seemed that no matter what his relatives did, it always grew back by the next morning, so they stopped trying. The only flaw one could see on his otherwise beautiful (and feminine) body, was a scar shaped like a lightning bold resting on his forehead above his left eye.

What harry didn't know, was that his looks were inherited from his mother, Lily, whom Petunia hated. Even though they were sisters, they looked nothing alike. Petunia had always wished that some of the beauty Lily had inherited from their parents was given to her instead.

Now, Harry's curiosity was a thing to behold. He was never allowed to ask questions, or learn from the fancy, expensive preschool books bought for Dudley. To them, he was "Freak," and not worthy of even the smallest amounts of money.

As time went on in that house, Harry had written up a list in an old notebook Dudley threw out of questions he had, but was never allowed to ask. Those questions were surprisingly intelligent for a, as of now, five year old boy, and used to consist of things like _why do plants grow_ and _why is the earth brown._ Perhaps the saddest things to be written in that book, though, were _why did my parents die_ and _did they ever love me._

Harry had been told by his dear Aunt Petunia that, "Your parents were stupid drunks and got themselves killed in a car crash, leaving your miserable self to us to feed and care for."

However, on Harry's fifth birthday, July 31, 1985, the questions he wrote down changed into things not so normal.

It all started about a week before that one special day, when Harry woke up at five in the morning to an itching on his back. Harry tried to scratch it, but his skinny, tiny arms just couldn't reach that far, and even when he craned his head all the way over his shoulder, he couldn't see the source of the itch.

He padded softly to the bathroom, careful not to wake his relatives. Once there, he shut and locked the door, then borrowed Dudley's stool so he could see in the mirror above the sink. Harry took off his old, hand-me-down shirt from Dudley (his relatives couldn't bear the thought of actually purchasing clothes for their resident freak) and angled his back towards the mirror.

There, on either side of his spine, on his upper back, were two long strips of swollen skin about four inches long and one inch wide each. It almost looked like he had rug burn. For the life of him, he couldn't remember when he had managed to injure himself there. That was a strange thought, considering all of the scars decorating his body. Every single one of them Harry could remember receiving, especially considering his near photographic memory. Without it, Harry wouldn't remember all of the rules Uncle Vernon put into place, or even know how to read.

Well, Harry just shrugged his shoulders as he threw his shirt back on. Maybe it was a sunburn or something from working in the flowerbeds yesterday? He was sure it would go away eventually. With that, Harry went to get dressed so he could begin making breakfast for his relatives, pushing the marks almost completely out of his mind, if not for the itching.

It was when Harry woke up the very next day to feel that the itching had increased exponentially that Harry remembered his problems. Again, he went into the bathroom to look in the mirror, only to find that the two strips had darkened in color and grown even puffier. With that sight, Harry risked his aunt's wrath and used some soothing cream from the first aid kit. Hopefully, the itching would ease up over the course of the day.

While he was working in the gardens a few hours later, Harry noticed that the flowers he was tending to seemed to flourish almost unnoticeably under his hands and curled their petals and leaves around his fingers. It made him even more curious than he already was, but as it were, he didn't want to risk his aunt's anger if she caught him doing something "freakish."

The first time something like that had happened he was just a toddler. He had been playing with a broken toy soldier Dudley had thrown away, but when the child had seen Harry with it, he had screamed and thrashed until Aunt Petunia had come to check on him. When Dudley had explained around his fake tears that "the Freak" had stolen it from him, she had snatched it out of Harry's hand with a slap to the face and passed it back to Dudley. Not liking the unfairness, Harry had wished that he could have the toy back, and something inside him had stirred. The something seemed to reach out to the toy, and literally made the soldier float out of Dudley's chubby fingers into his own tiny ones.

Aunt Petunia had watched the proceedings with a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face, before, again, snatching the toy away to Dudley. It didn't happen again, and no one spoke to him until that night when Uncle Vernon came home that night from his job. Aunt Petunia had blathered to him all about Harry's "freakish ways" and Uncle Vernon's face had swelled up to look like a purple turnip.

That night, Harry had gone to bed with bruised ribs and several lashings across his back, tears streaming down his face. He was only three years old.

From that point on, Harry had sought to make sure that anything strange that he couldn't explain would stay hidden from his relatives so that he wouldn't get punished for his "freakishness." Of course, sometimes he slipped up, but he improved over time and slowly the heavy beatings had started to dwindle. However, each and every time something happened, Harry wrote in his notebook, asking himself why these things happened. Occasionally, he would spend sleepless nights pondering, but with no access to any information, he always ended up at a dead end.

Anyways, Harry quickly finished the garden, glad that Aunt Petunia hated the heat and almost always refused to watch him outside during the summer. It also gave him the opportunity to drink as much water as he could stomach from the garden hose.

Before Harry went to sleep that night, he asked himself another question in his notebook.

 _What new things will happen tomorrow?_

 **July 26, 1985**

Harry woke up with the itching having increased to a slightly painful degree, and yet again more swelling when he looked in the mirror to check. When making breakfast, Harry went to pick up the cast iron pan, and almost hit his head on the cabinet door. Usually, he had to force his whole body to substitute for the weight of the pan, but it felt so light today, as if it weighed nothing more than a feather.

Weeding was ridiculously easy, as Harry only had to tug the smallest amount to pull up the stubborn plants easily. His strength had multiplied overnight, and as he sat in the cupboard, his pencil stub scribbled furiously over the pages of his notebook.

 **July 27, 1985**

It was almost expected, the pain in his back. Luckily, it was still a small amount, compared to the pain when his uncle uses his belt across his spine for punishment. What wasn't expected was the scene he stumbled across in the garden while weeding. A red and black striped snake had been facing off with a rabbit, obviously over whether or not the rabbit would become dinner.

He walked up in the middle of a conversation.

 _"…ssst sssurrender right now, you don't have the ssspeed to essscape."_

 _"Like hell I'm going to just lie down and become dinner! I saw you eat that rat just a day ago, you don't need any more food for at least a few more days."_

 _"It'sss a tough world; who knowsss if there isss going to be food available in a few daysss."_

Harry interrupted there.

 _"How are you two talking? Where did you learn English? Why are…"_

They both startled and turned to face him. The snake spoke, giving Harry his undivided attention.

 _"I'm not the one ssspeaking the human tongue, hatchling, it isss you who isss ssspeaking my tongue, that of the noble language of Parssseltongue. I have heard ssstories of human Ssspeakersss, but never have I ssseen one."_

Harry looked confused.

 _"But I'm not speaking like a snake, I'm sure I am speaking English. And even if I was, why could I hear the rabbit too?"_

Even the snake looked confused as well, but when he turned to look at the rabbit, he found that she had escaped sometime while they were talking. He turned back to face Harry, only to speak again.

 _"I'm not sssure, hatchling. The only ssstoriesss I have heard were of the wizard Ssspeakersss. They could only Ssspeak sssnake, however, ssso maybe you are not entirely human?"_

Harry looked distressed and excited al at the same time. He had so many questions to ask, but the not-human idea seemed to frazzle his brain a little…

The snake seemed to take pity on Harry, for he immediately worked to soothe his worries.

 _"How about thisss, hatchling? I will ssstay around thisss human dwelling for a while and anssswer any quessstionsss you have. One asss young asss you ssshould not be left alone, either. I will ssstay and guard you from any threatsss."_

Harry was reassured by the snake's kindness, but soon heard his Aunt calling from the house. He thanked the snake and assured him that he would be out again tomorrow to visit and ask questions.

Harry then went inside, was smacked by Aunt Petunia for "taking his time" and told to get started on lunch for her and Dudley.

That night, for once, Harry was excited to go back in his cupboard, for sleeping made the morning always come quicker.

 **July 28, 1985**

The rash had become much more painful overnight, as expected, and Harry was seriously considering telling his relatives about it so he could go to the hospital. However, he stayed his tongue. If he asked for anything that wasn't an emergency, chances were he would get punished by his uncle for "wasting his time."

Harry spent his mornings in the garden sorting out the plants while being followed by the snake. He asked an endless amount of questions, and the snake seemed to take them all with good humor and answered them to the best of his abilities. Harry even dipped into a few questions he remembered from his notebook.

However, the main topic they talked about was wizards.

At first, due to his animal Speaking ability, the snake wasn't so sure, but after explaining some of the things he could do, the snake confirmed it. Harry was, at least partially, a wizard. After that, the snake explained all about what he remembered hearing about the wizarding world.

Harry soaked up the knowledge like a dry sponge, his curiosity never truly filled.

It was somewhere in the middle of a conversation about wizard clothing that Harry asked, _"What is your name, anyways? I can't keep calling you snake, can I?"_

The snake chuckled and replied, _"You are right, hatchling. My name isss One Who Bleedsss Ssstripesss, but you may call me Ssstripe. What isss your name, Hatchling?"_

" _My name is Harry,"_ replied Harry, before he dived right back where they had left off.

That night, while serving dinner, Harry had accidentally dropped a glass and watched with horror as it shattered on the floor. His Uncle's face had swelled up and turned almost as dark as Harry's skin on his ribs had when it was all over. While trying to fall asleep in his cupboard, Harry had wished that his ribs wouldn't hurt so much, and his hands had started to glow a soft, forest green. Fascinated, Harry had held up his hands to his ribs, and watched as the green soaked into his skin and healed the bruised areas as it spread, confirming his suspicions.

 **July 29, 1985**

Again, Harry's swelling was worse, and when he tried to call up his healing ability to soothe it, he was pleasantly surprised when the pain receded a bit, but the swelling stayed behind. Right now, it was the same ugly purple as his ribs had been the night before.

Stripe was waiting for Harry in the garden after breakfast again. As soon as his Aunt was out of hearing range, he began rapidly exclaiming all about his new ability. Stripe was surprised, but asked Harry what other strange things had been happening the last few days.

When Stripe had seen Harry's back, his eyes went wide for just a moment, before he schooled his expression so Harry wouldn't see it. Stripe had a suspicion that his theory about Harry not being entirely human was correct, but didn't want to scare Harry just in case.

When asked about his thoughts, Stripe lied and said that Harry's guess was as good as his.

It was while Harry was watering the plants that a new ability showed itself. The stream from the hose wasn't quite long enough to reach the flowers in the back. Harry wished the plants would be closer so he didn't have to go and turn up the water flow, but then the part of the ground that held the flowers lifted itself out of the earth and floated towards him, leaving a hole where it had once rested. Harry had panicked and unconsciously sent it back where it came from, the ground sealing up like it had never been disturbed. Stripe had seen the event, and almost immediately demanded that Harry work on his control.

So, not only was Harry manipulating his healing powers, but his earth ones too. Also, he was reminded of the incident with the flowers from the first day, and had a hunch about another new ability he might have developed. So, just to test himself, harry focused on the rosebuds next to him that had yet to bloom, and sure enough, within a few moments, their petals fully opened up. This seemed to be the cue, for all of the other plants opened up and started leaning towards him, their petals reaching out to him while their roots strained against their grip on the ground.

Stripe added plant manipulation training to his regimen after Harry took thirty minutes getting the flowers calmed down.

 **July 30, 1985**

Harry's back was throbbing when he woke up that morning. It had even developed blisters in the night. It was almost too painful for Harry to work, but his Uncle's face would pop into his mind every few minutes, spurring him on to finish his work.

Stripe had encouraged Harry to practice his speaking ability that day, so when he had seen a few birds settle in the birdbath, Harry took the chance to speak to them.

They at first were surprised at his skill, but once they got over that and the initial wariness that comes from meeting a human, he was included in their conversation.

They mostly talked about flying, and how wonderful the wind felt caught in the feathers of their wings. It was in the middle of their conversation that Harry started to daydream about what it would be like to be a bird, and to feel the very same sensations that all birds exclaimed over. What snapped him out of dreamland was when one of the birds looked over at him and gasped, drawing everyone's attention.

Harry's eyes snapped open, only for him to find himself disoriented. He was surrounded on all sides by tall, green stems about as tall as he was. He looked down at himself and came face-to-face with a gray, downy chest. He tried to use his hands to touch his now-feathered chest, but realized he had no more hands, only fuzzy, downy wings. It seems he had turned himself into a garden-variety bird chick. Harry then did what any human who found himself in this position did.

He chirped cutely.

Of course, that just spurred on all the chatting birds to practically dive-bomb him and start smothering him with their affections and mothering. A few of them chirped disapprovingly at the state his back was in, and tried to sooth it. It was only when Stripe came to investigate the noise, having slithered off to hunt, only to find Harry being mothered. When those green eyes turned pleadingly in his direction, Stripe cracked up and released a series of hissing laughs that lasted a good few minutes.

When he finally stopped laughing, he managed to tell Harry to just imagine himself as a human again.

Luckily, he succeeded, leaving the birds to pout and try to groom his hair as a stand-in. The rest of the day was spent on trying to turn into different animals. Much to Harry's horror and Stripe's amusement, he ended up turning into the baby version of whatever he tried.

Harry started feeling chills down his spine for an unknown reason.

Near the end of the day, the pain on Harry's back grew to such high levels that he almost cried from relief when his Uncle locked him up again.

The hours slowly passed, Harry writhing on the ground in pain, trying desperately to stay silent. To keep himself distracted, Harry watched the old, battered clock tick down the minutes until his birthday.

11:59 and 55 seconds.

56 seconds.

57 seconds.

58 seconds.

59 seconds…

As the clock hit 12, Harry's world exploded.


	2. Harry is a Fairy

**Everyone, thank you to those who read my story and have favorited/followed me. Just in the first six hours I got 47 views in twelve different countries and 3 favorites and follows. I just feel so tickled pink right now…it's my first chapter in my very first published story. I don't know if that's normal or not, but I have a feeling that as I post more stories, I will find out. For now, don't tell me. Let me bask in happiness, even if it's really not that impressive. Anyways, this will be the only author's note I make, unless some of you want to hear from me again. For those who don't like author's notes, I'm sorry for posting this one, but I felt like I needed to celebrate. Speaking of which, I'm posting the second chapter within a day of the first. I don't know how regular updates will be, so just take it and run with it. So, on with the story!**

When Harry woke up that morning, light was flooding under the stairs. He sat up quickly, worried about having forgotten to cook breakfast that morning for his relatives, only to stop, realizing something was out of place. In fact, several somethings were out of place.

The first, and the one that had Harry in a flurry, was that the house was silent. Usually, Dudley snored so loudly that Harry could hear it from under the stairs. That, and the fact that the light flooding under the stairs signified that it was late morning, and the Dursleys should have gotten him up by now, and punished him for daring to sleep in.

The next concerning thing was that Harry could _see._ For as long as he could remember, Harry had to wear these terribly ugly glasses, with bent frames and old-fashioned circular lenses. They didn't match his prescription, whatever it was, as he had never been to the doctor, but they cured enough of his near-sightedness that he could function regularly. Right now, though, his glasses were not resting on his little button nose, and yet, he could see far more clearly than he had ever seen before. What concerned him, though, were the splatters of blood and some sort of clear fluid that was all around him.

The next most pressing thing was that Harry wasn't in any pain. Usually, Harry felt some sort of pain. Whether it be from a beating given to him by Uncle Vernon, or from an empty stomach due to the Dursleys not giving him enough food. Most recently, however, the pain had been coming from his back, but Harry could no longer feel the burning, itchy pain associated with those long strips. He unconsciously raised a hand to try and feel his back, but when his arm came into view, he froze.

His arm, which just yesterday had been almost unhealthily thin, had filled out a little. Decorating his arm were swirls of dark green vine-like markings that started at his fingertip and spread all the way up his arm under his shirt where he lost sight of it. However, something out of the corner of his eye had caught his attention.

He saw a green, sheer shape that seemed to be behind him, and now that he noticed, there seemed to be a slight weight coming from his upper back. With excitement, tinged with just a little bit of nervousness, Harry crawled to his cupboard door to go to the bathroom, but was impeded by the locks on it. It seemed that Uncle Vernon had locked Harry in his cupboard.

Harry banged on the door, but forgot his new strength from a few days ago so the door splintered and flew off of its hinges. He panicked for a few seconds, until Harry realized that no sounds could be heard. Cautiously, Harry poked his head out of the cupboard, then crawled the rest of the way out when he realized the coast was clear.

Peeking out the window, Harry was relieved to see that his Uncle's car was gone even though it was a Saturday. That meant that his relatives were out doing something. Well, whatever reason, Harry was glad for this uninterrupted time to look at himself in the mirror.

Harry then proceeded to run to the bathroom, getting even more excited when he felt _something_ brush the doorframe of the bathroom. He ripped of the remains of his shirt, which he just now realized was shredded. What he saw in the mirror took his breath away.

All of Harry's skin was unblemished. Where his scars once laid were silvery patches of skin that seemed to compliment his hair, which now was long enough to brush the small of his back. His eyes, which before could be described as big, were just barely inhumanely large, taking up the majority of his face. His lips were now plump and red, giving a permanent pouting expression to his face.

The sharp angles of Harry's body from hunger had filled out, giving him a slender, healthy-looking tone. His hips were slightly rounded, and his waist had drawn in slightly, giving him an even more feminine appearance than he already had. His butt had swelled a little, and was now visibly perky even under his shorts. He now stood a little over three feet, shorter than his three-and-a-half that he was sure he had been the day before.

Those green markings that he had noticed earlier were all over his body. They started at his cheekbones, which were a little higher than they had been before. The lines swirled under his eyes and down his cheeks to the sides of his neck where they joined a large collar of vines already there. There was a wisp of vines over both of his collarbones, just floating there. The next sets were the ones on his arms, where another ring circled his biceps and had a long strip run down the back side of his arm before twisting around to run along the side of his hand and end at the very tip of his pinky finger.

There was a set of vines that danced along his hips, joining in the front while dipping low down his groin, fading into nothing the further down they got. That set also joined I the back, except this time they joined along his spine while going upwards before joining with the others at his neck along his hairline.

The last set was yet another ring around his upper thighs that Harry had to lift his shorts to see with vines trailing down the outside of his legs all the way down to the tip of his pinky toe. All of the vines were gently swaying, with a few flicks here and there from the very tips of some of the vines.

All-in-all, Harry had one word to describe his current predicament.

Girly.

Yes, Harry was indeed so feminine looking that he seriously considered his true gender for a moment; at least, until he looked down his waistband just to make sure. Yep, Harry was still a boy.

Now that the initial inspection was over, Harry looked at the most distinguishing detail in the mirror; his wings.

Floating a few feet outwards from his back were two pairs of green wings that looked like they belonged on a giant green dragonfly. They erupted from two slits in his upper back where the two rashes were. Right near his skin, their color was a deep, glistening emerald green, just like his eyes, and faded to a teal then clear at the very ends.

Harry had turned into a giant fairy.

He just stood there, staring at the mirror, for what felt like hours, the words running through his head.

 _I'm a fairy._

 _I'm a fairy!_

 _I'M A FAIRY!_

Eventually, the words clicked and Harry managed to wrench his mind back to the present. Now, as stated before, Harry was a curious child with a thirst for knowledge, so his next thought was to grab his notebook and write down all the questions that rushed through his head now that it wasn't bogged down.

Only after the flood had calmed did Harry realize that there was a problem. First, he looked unnatural. Even without the wings, Harry's features were slightly alien in nature and not normal in any part of the world. How was he going to blend in with other people? For the record, what was he going to do about his relatives and their vendetta against anything "freakish?" If they came home to see him looking like this, they were probably going to kill him. So, in order to stay alive, he needed to get out of that house.

The first order of business was to find Stripe. It was already late, past 10 if the clock on the wall was to be believed, so he was probably worried about him.

Once outside, Harry was surprised to see Stripe already there, draped across the wooden railing on the back porch. He looked ecstatic, and started talking as soon as he saw Harry.

" _Ssso you weren't entirely human in the firssst place, were you? I knew asss sssoon asss thossse woundsss on your ssspine that you were ssspecial, but thisss ssspecial? I could feel the ssstrength of your transssformation from the yard. You and I are going to go far, hatchling."_

Harry was confused, and said as much.

" _What do you mean by 'feel the transformation'? All I know was that I woke up looking like a bug? Can you explain to me what is going on? I knew I was fully human a week ago, but now, I'm not. What is happening to me?"_

" _Hatchling,"_ Stripe replied _. "I have heard from the other sssnakesss that there are more than jussst humansss out there. There are humanoid creaturesss too. Sssome ssspeak of the Veela in France, or the Dragonoidsss in Aussstralia, and of their ssseemingly human appearance, but non-human abilitiesss and traitsss. There are timesss where the Veela, for example, mate with humansss, and their offssspring are human until the day when their otherworldly blood awakensss. I liken it to your transssformation lassst night."_

He cleared his throat, then spoke again.

" _I sussspect that, whatever you are, came from a long-buried trait in one of your parentsss. However, sssomething about you is ssso ssspecial that it not only sssomehow awakened after yearsss of ressst, but did it while you were but a hatchling. Unlike thossse half or quarter Veelasss, I sssuspect you to be fully…whatever you are."_

While thinking about Stripe's words, Harry absentmindedly replied, _"I've just been calling myself a fairy."_

Stripe looked him over, then nodded in approval. _"While mossst likely not the whole picture, you do ssseem to carry traitsss from that race, or, at leassst, what we_ think _that race hasss. Ssso, for now, it'll do."_

Harry nodded as well, but then a thought hit him.

" _Wait a second! You forgot to tell me about the sensing thing!"_

" _Oh that'sss right…"_ replied the snake. _"I am like you, in a way, you could sssuggessst. One of my ancessstorsss was a runessspoor, a three-headed magical sssnake. While I do not have three headsss, or asss potent venom, I have enough magic in me to form bondsss with wizardsss. Lassst night, you releasssed ssso much magical energy that I bonded with you. Though, it'sss not a true Familiar bond, more like a father/ssson bond. Apparently, your magic ssseesss me asss your father, and appointed me asss sssuch."_

Harry froze, hardly daring to breathe. At that, Stripe seemed to grow nervous, and his coils tightened. He looked down, then glanced back up at Harry, not meeting his eyes.

" _Of courssse, that'sss only if you want me. I underssstand that I can be a bit of a nag when it comesss to training, but I wanted you to excel. I want my hatchling, I mean, you to be the bessst you can be, and…"_

Stripe was cut off when Harry unfroze and lunged at him, crying. He grabbed as much of Stripe's coiled body as his arms could hold, and bawled into his smooth skin. It was all Stripe could do to cuddle and soothe the poor boy.

Eventually, Harry managed to stop crying, and whispered, _"I accept."_

With that, something not quite tangible snapped into place, and now Harry could feel the bond that Stripe had said existed. The two of them just took a moment to bask in the warmth the bond provided, before Stripe seemed to regain himself.

" _Now, I would love to sssit here with you all day, but we have thingsss to do. Basssed on what you tell me about your_ relativesss _,"_ Stripe seemed to spit that word, _"you are in danger if they catch you looking like that. Ssspeaking of which, why are you not cleaned up?"_

Harry looked down at himself, only just now realizing that he wasn't wearing a shirt and that there was dried blood and other fluids speckling his body.

" _I'm sorry, pa…Stripe. I just forgot about it in the excitement."_

"He didn't seem satisfied, but let it go for now.

" _Well, either way, you need to get cleaned up. After that, we need to get packed up. I will not let a hatchling of mine sssuffer in sssuch a hovel. We will be leaving. Now, hurry up and get cleaned. Oh, and don't forget a bag to ssstore your thingsss in."_

Harry, with a new spot warmed up in his heart at the knowledge that _someone_ cared about his health, went into the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

The problem came when Harry went to try and find clothes to wear. Dudley's clothes were too big on his previously taller frame, and now Harry was practically swimming in them. Plus, he really didn't want to wear something like them anyways. So, where could he get clothes?

The answer came to him as he passed his Aunt and Uncle's room on the way out of the shower, still wrapped in a large, fluffy towel. The only one small enough to have clothes that didn't drown him was…Aunt Petunia.

Harry steeled his nerves and walked into their bedroom, heading straight for the closet. Inside, all of Aunt Petunia's dresses were hanging in neat, orderly lines. But, it wasn't those Harry was after, but the large trunk in the very back. One day, Aunt Petunia had made him organize her closet, and it was in that chest that Harry knew contained clothes from her childhood.

What Harry wanted was a pair of pants, but unfortunately, Aunt Petunia was all too fond of fluffy dresses in her youth. Resigned, he picked out the least obtrusive one, and one that would accommodate his wings. It was knee length, with a neck strap instead of sleeves, making it easy to pull up under his wings, then tie off around his neck, leaving his peachy shoulders bare to the world. The dress was colored a mint green, with white crinoline under the skirt making it just a bit poofy. There was a dark green ribbon wrapped around his middle, with a bow in the back. Lastly, there were some dark green flowers embroidered on the hem. Harry also pulled on a pair of brown leggings to go under the dress. He wasn't quite prepared enough to go without some kind of covering for his lower half.

Harry found a pair of knee-high white boots that, although made for style instead of functionality, would be better for protection than the sandals the rest of the trunk offered. Thinking ahead, Harry grabbed a few extra dresses, just in case he wasn't able to buy anything else for a while. Also, while he was at it, Harry snatched the cash his Uncle kept for emergencies, a hefty sum around 5,000 pounds.

Running to Dudley's room, Harry found a brown backpack that Dudley had never even touched and stuffed the dresses in, then tucked the cash in the outside pocket. He also added Dudley's allowance, which was around 150 pounds, and closed the bag.

Harry padded downstairs to the kitchen, and saw Stripe curled up on the floor waiting for him.

" _Hatchling, you need to get sssome food together for our journey. I may be able to hunt for myssself, but you are too sssmall to be able to do ssso yet. Pack food that will not ssspoil ssso it may lassst you for a while."_

Stripe then turned away, froze, then did a double-take at the picture Harry made standing there in a dress and tights. The scene was a picture of innocence, with Harry lightly blushing, making the scene all the sweeter. He looked so innocent, like a fairy that walked out of a children's book. Stripe actually had to shake his head to snap himself out of the stupor Harry had pushed him into.

" _Hatchling, you are ssso beautiful. You make me ssso proud of you, and I jussst know that you'll be sssomething ssspecial one day, and you'll go far."_

There was a moment of comfortable silence, then Harry kicked himself into gear again.

He spent the next ten minutes gathering canned foods and bottles of water from the cabinets and the pantry, stuffing as much as he could fit into the bag. Harry didn't worry about how heavy the bag was; with his new strength the weight was negligent. It was one in the afternoon by the time the both of them had finished packing up.

" _Alright hatchling, it'sss time for the final part of our essscape. It'sss time to learn how to fly."_

" _I don't know about that,"_ Harry said, suddenly very nervous. _"I'm scared. What if I fall?"_

" _It'll be ok, little one. I'll be right here with you,"_ Stripe replied _._

Harry strapped the backpack across his chest so his wings weren't restrained, then held it tight with his arms. Stripe slithered up his body and draped around his neck; loose, but secure.

" _Are you ready to fly?"_

Harry straightened his shoulders and strengthened his resolve. This was it, the moment of truth. To be honest, Harry was terrified of this part of the plan. His wings looked so fragile, like the slightest touch would rip them. But when he focused on them, he could feel a light breeze brush across them, proving that they were super sensitive. There was an underlying strength to them though, something not noticeable at first.

Harry let go of the bag across his chest with one arm and reached back to touch one of the wings. It was smooth, feeling almost like satin. However, the sensation was deceiving, for when he pushed it, they solidified and became a sturdy mass, giving a sense of safety to Harry.

That one brief touch gave Harry enough strength to really try.

Honestly, it was easier than expected. All that Harry needed to do was focus on what he wanted his wings to do, and let the light wind he could feel lift him up.

Harry rose into the sky, his wings holding both he and his baggage as if he weighed nothing. He turned to face the direction they needed to go and started to fly away.

" _We'll be in London in a few hoursss at this pace,"_ said Stripe.

" _Why are we going to London in the first place, Pa-Stripe?"_ asked Harry.

" _Other sssnakes tell me that isss where the major wizarding ssshopping center is. You need sssuppliesss ssso you can learn one part of your magic, and they may have tomesss that can tell usss what you are. Alssso, there isss a bank that may have money in it left by your ancessstors."_

" _You mean I will finally know who I am?"_

" _Yesss, hatchling. Although, I do have a quessstion. What were you about to call me earlier? You alssso almossst called me it earlier."_

Harry looked away, a light blush on his face.

" _Is it alright to call you Papa? I know we just bonded today, but I want-I really want…"_

" _Yesss, hatchling, you can call me Papa. In exchange, you will be my bambino, my hatchling, my child."_

With warm feelings in their hearts, they flew away to a hopefully better life with their future laid out before them.


	3. Harry Finds the Wizards

Harry was of the opinion that everyone should know the joys of flying. As he glided through the air, the wind seemed to cradle him, as if it was his mother and he was just a small infant needing comforting. The wind's soothing presence alongside the steady feeling of comfort Harry could feel trickling through his bond with… _Papa…_ made his insides soar high along with him. He asked himself, _is this what a family is supposed to feel like?_

Of course, nothing in this world lasts forever, and Harry was fast approaching London. Papa had asked him to land outside of the city so as to not cause a scene, and Harry had agreed.

Once safely grounded in a small forest park, Harry immediately started firing questions to his Papa about where they needed to go next.

 _"I have never been here before, hatchling. Why don't you sssit and take a break; relax for a while. I need sssome time to asssk the other sssnakesss in the area about where exactly the wizarding community is."_

Stripe unwound himself from Harry's shoulders and lowered himself to the ground, easily reaching it due to Harry's short stature. He was a kingsnake, and being much bigger than average at forty-nine inches long, made him longer than Harry was tall.

He slithered away, telling Harry to eat something while he was gone. That spurred Harry into digging out a can of vegetable soup from his bag and a can opener.

Harry carefully opened the can, being careful not to cut his tiny fingers on the sharp rim of the lid. Of course, there was so heat source, so once the can was open, Harry just ate it cold with a spoon he also dug out of his bag.

The contents of the can were almost gone when Stripe came slithering back, nodding in approval when he saw that Harry had eaten almost the entire can

 _"Good job, hatchling. I'm proud of you. Even though you look healthy now, I remember thossse ribsss of yoursss sssticking out before becaussse of thossse…_ animalsss' _…treatment of you. I want you to eat asss much asss you can to try and build yourssself up a little more. My bambino ssshould never have to go hungry."_

Harry flushed in pride, but listened as Stripe finished talking.

 _"Anywaysss, I found what we're looking for. Apparently, there isss a magical gateway to the ssshopping district located on Charing Crossss Road. It isss sssupposssed to be what humansss call a pub. I sssuggessst we get going; it'sss fairly deep into the city."_

Harry put one delicate finger to his pursed lips, then thought of something.

 _"Papa, what if we took a taxi instead?"_

Stripe looked confused _. "A taxi? What isss a taxi, hatchling?_

 _"It is a car that some people drive to take others to their locations. You tell them where you need to go, then give them an amount of money that matches the distance!"_ Harry said excitedly.

 _"That isss a pretty convenient human thing,"_ said Stripe _. "However, before we can go anywhere, we need to find sssomewhere to hide your wingsss."_

Harry dug into his bag and pulled out a cloak he had taken from Aunt Petunia's trunk. It was white and made of silk, and tied closed at his neck. There was a hood on it, and the hem was long enough to brush his calves. Harry tied his hair back with a brown ribbon pulled off one of the dresses and pulled it over his shoulder so it wouldn't bunch up his hood.

He whipped it over his shoulders and felt the cloth lay flat, his wings instinctively folding down flat as soon as the cloak touched them. Luckily, they were so thin that no strange bulges could be seen from the outside. Harry then pulled up the hood to shadow his eyes, making sure the inhuman features were disguised.

Stripe looked him over, then nodded in approval. While the tattoos would still be visible, they were more easily explained than the other features Harry sported.

 _"Alright, well, I think we're ready to go. Why don't you go find one of thossse taxisss you told me about ssso we can finisssh the day."_

Indeed, the sun was already lowering in the sky. It must have been around four or five in the afternoon. After their late start and long flight, the day had slowly slipped away from them.

Harry hailed a taxi, but there was a minor hiccup when the driver wanted to know why a _little girl_ was riding into the city by herself.

"I'm going to visit my grandmother in the hospital," Harry said. "But I wanted to stop at the store to get some flowers first, and the only store that sells her favorites is…"

Eventually, Harry did get to where he needed to go, but it took a little convincing (and a pout or two) to actually get the driver to let Harry out of the car.

The two found themselves on Charing Cross Road, but no idea where to go from there. Harry just decided to walk in one direction and see if he could stumble across it. Twenty minutes later, Harry was standing in front of a grimy little pub labeled _The Leaky Cauldron._ He could literally feel the magic oozing through the cracks in the dinghy wood, but he couldn't fathom what his brain had oh-so-helpfully put together for him.

 _Why does the entrance to the magical district look seedier than the alleyways we passed on the way here?_

Stripe wasn't impressed, either. He looked at the pub with a dubious expression on his face.

 _"Well, thisss isss the entrance, hatchling. Jussst, ah, alwaysss be careful of your sssurroundingsss and jussst_ … _don't touch anything."_

With that…encouraging…statement, Harry just straightened his back and walked in like he belonged there and that it was completely normal for a five-year-old child to walk into a dirty pub alone.

Immediately, he was hit from all directions by a loud mixture of noises. People were yelling over each other and moving around chaotically. The funny thing was, though, that everyone was dressed in dresses. Yes, even the men were wearing them.

 _So this must be that strange fashion trend Papa told me about,_ mused Harry,

He fought his way forward, glad that his strength allowed him to fight through the other patrons and not get squashed or lost in the crowd. The whole building reeked of sweat and ale, and Harry just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

When Harry finally made it to the bar, he noticed an older man standing behind it while cleaning a dirty glass with an even dirtier rag.

"Mah name's Tom, owner of The Leaky Cauldron. Wha' can I help ya with, little lady?"

Tom seemed to speak in a gruff voice. Maybe it was from all the chaos that this pub seemed to attract?

Anyways, Harry, already used to people mistaking him as a girl, replied without missing a beat.

"My parents told me to meet them inside…"

 _"Diagon Alley,"_ Stripe helpfully whispered.

"Diagon Alley so we could go shopping. Can you show me the way and open it up for me?"

Tom grunted and set down the glass, then beckoned him to follow. Harry, pushing away the discomfort all children should have when an adult stranger wants them to follow, dutifully trailed behind.

He led them to an alley on the side of the building, then stood in front of a brick wall at the end. Harry would have felt nervous about being alone with a stranger who led him into an abandoned alley, but he wasn't. No, Harry could feel the powerful magic that made up the wall in front of him.

It felt aged, like an old man who had seen much in his lifetime. This wall probably had hundreds of people every day pass through it, and have been doing it for hundreds of years. It was actually kind of humbling.

Tom cleared his throat, bringing Harry's attention back to the present. He pulled a long stick out of his dress— _robes,_ Harry reminded himself—and began speaking.

"Jus' gotta remember, three up and two across. Don't ever forget it, ya hear meh?

Harry nodded and watched, excited, as Tom tapped the pattern on the wall. He wasn't prepared for the result, though.

Magic just _gushed_ from the doorway as soon as the bricks started shuffling away from each other to make the doorway. It was like a waterfall, heavy and chaotic, but it was benevolent in nature, swirling around Harry and welcoming him inside instead of forcefully dragging him along for the ride. Soon, Harry was somewhat used to the flow, and was able to get his first glimpse of the alley.

Colorful stores lined both sides of the street, flying objects whizzing everywhere, and there was a general loud buzz of merriment from the patrons. Nothing was uniform in this place. The stores were all as eclectic from each other as the people were, and all were selling a wide variety of things.

Harry looked behind him to thank Tom for opening the door for him, but the older man was already walking back inside his Pub, leaving the door to swing shut behind him.

He turned back around to admire the sight, just standing and looking for a good few minutes. There just simply was no way to comprehend everything with a glance or two. You just had to keep drinking it in and hope you didn't drown on the color on the way.

It was Stripe who finally got Harry to move.

" _Did you forget, hatchling? There are things we need to do today. First, we need to go to the bank and exchange currency. There, we may also find out if you have any family accounts."_

Harry nodded, but didn't respond, not wanting people to get suspicious of his Speaking ability.

He stopped the nearest person to him, a homely-looking red-haired witch, for directions, and when she turned to look at him, she got this glint in her eye. Harry felt a shiver go down his spine, and tried to apologize for disturbing her.

But no, it wasn't to be. She insisted that he was "too skinny" and needed fattening up, then ushered him to the nearest food establishment which just so-happened to be called _Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor._

Harry made the mistake of saying he had never had ice cream before, and she adopted this look of horror on his face. He then found himself with a three-scoop cone bigger than his face, with a scoop each of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry so he could, "find out what you like," according to her. Harry just thought she had an obsessive-compulsive desire to feed any stray she found.

Of course, through the whole ordeal, Stripe had been snickering under his cloak, his hissing laughs disguised by the noisiness of the Alley.

Eventually, Harry was allowed to say he was full after several gentle chastisements and the sneaky relocation of the majority of his cone. Honestly, he felt a little bad about lying to her after she bought him ice cream, but he already had that can of soup not that long ago, and was mostly full.

After that, the witch (named Molly Weasley) had tried to convince him to come home with her for a "good, home-cooked meal with lots of meat," but Harry really needed to go, and managed to convince her that he had parents waiting for him at the bank. She reluctantly let him go, but made sure to give him her floo address (whatever that was). She pointed at a large, white marble building as she left, telling him that the bank would be closed soon and that it would be best to hurry.

Harry thanked her again and waved as he left, not hearing Mrs. Weasley mutter behind him.

"That little girl was so strange. Why was her face covered? Maybe Dumbledore should hear about this…"

Unfortunately for her, Stripe had heard her words, and was not pleased. He knew that name, and wondered how the Headmaster of a school had enough weight to have his own informants.

Harry on the other hand had stopped at the bottom of the steps and was reading the sign under the big GRINGOTTS name.

 _Enter stranger, but take heed_

 _Of what awaits the sin of greed_

 _For those who take, but do not earn,_

 _Must pay most dearly in their turn._

 _So if you seek beneath our floors_

 _A treasure that was never yours,_

 _Thief, you have been warned, beware_

 _Of finding more than treasure there._

Two strange creatures dressed in war leathers with large, heavy weapons on their shoulders were flanking the doors. They were short but sturdy-looking, with wrinkled skin hardened from many battles and a rougher living. They were intimidating, but Harry had always been curious. If it wasn't so busy in the Alley, Harry would have been scribbling down questions like lightning in his notebook. As it was, he simply contented himself with dashing up the marble stairs making a beeline for one of the creatures.

He stopped in front of the one on the left, and used the moment to catch his breath. The creature raised an eyebrow in his direction, but didn't say anything. Harry sucked in a breath, then exploded with babble.

"Hello, who are you? I've never been here before, so I don't know what you are. Is that impolite to ask? I'm sorry. Why do you have weapons? Is there a lot of trouble here? Aren't they heavy? Wouldn't you get tired standing there all day long? What is your name? Do you…"

"Enough, human," the creature spoke in a rough, gruff voice. "I will tell you this once, but listen carefully so I don't have to again. My name is Grushulk, the one beside me is Thornburg. We are goblins, a warrior race that runs this bank and guards the treasures within. Our weapons are large to prove our strength, and not once have we ever been robbed."

Harry was sparkly eyed. These were the very first magical creatures he had met, besides himself, and there were so many more questions he had. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was chastised by Stripe.

" _Hatchling, leave the poor being alone. He doesssn't need your quessstionsss while he'sss working."_

He replied, _"Well, can I ask him if I can ask quessstions after the bank closes?"_

" _If he agreesss, then I sssee no problem with it. But only for an hour, we will need to find a place to sssleep and get you to bed early."_

Harry pouted at that, but conceded to the rules.

Meanwhile, Grushulk, and Thornburg who had been listening in, had poorly concealed shock plastered across their faces.

"Did you just-just-Speak to the snake?" stuttered Grushulk.

Harry went shy and blushed as he looked down. "I just went through something of an inheritance, and now I can Speak to all animals. Is that weird?"

"It is not so weird to those of us who are aware of the more hidden magical races. But to see what appears to be a human, but clearly not, is a great surprise. I can see none of your features, so I can't take a guess myself, but might I ask you the same question you asked me? What are you?"

"I don't know, Grushulk." Harry then looked up, a stronger resolve in his eye. "But that is why we are here, so I can get some clues that might help."

Grushulk laughed at that. It was a huffing, gruff sort of laugh, but a laugh all the same.

"Child, one of the services here at Gringotts is a full scan of the customer. We can tell you your name, your race, all of your family members, your number of vaults and their contents, plus we handle all matters associated with familial inheritances."

Harry grew happier at each word. He and his Papa had both thought it would be hard studying and lots of books that could get them their answers, but the perfect solution was right here in front of them.

"Thank you, Grushulk," said Harry. "You just helped us so much, I can never repay you. But," here, Harry looked nervous again. "I want to ask you about something."

"Ask away, child. A member of another magical race is always welcome to ask questions."

"Can I come back once the bank closes? I want to ask you so many questions, but I don't want to disturb your work."

"No," Harry looked disheartened at this, "not tonight. I do have a family back in the tunnels who is expecting me. However," Harry's spirits rose again. "We may talk again tomorrow, at eight. I will have given my family notice, and you will have been better rested."

He was right, as much as Harry hated to admit it. He was very tired, and the bedtime his Papa had set was looking even better every minute.

"Okay, it's a promise!"

Grushulk chuckled, then beckoned him to go inside. Harry very nearly skipped in happiness, but held just enough composure to just bounce a little as he walked.

The bank was large and opulent, with marble floors and gold decorations. There was a shimmering chandelier hanging up high, its faceted dangling crystals glimmering from the light of hundreds of candles, making the room fairly bright. There were podiums with nicely-dressed goblins spaced evenly down the hall, separated by marble pillars. At the very end, though, was a goblin teller raised on a larger and fancier-decorated pillar than the others. There was also a tall gate behind him made of old that seemed to lead somewhere.

Harry fast-walked to the line standing in front of the goblin, relieved to see that it was fairly short. Also, he noticed that it was much quieter and calmer inside the bank than outside, in the Alley. He didn't know if that was because if the intimidating goblins' abilities at crowd control, or just that the wizards had a higher respect for the place that held their money.

Finally, it was his turn, and Harry approached the teller. The goblin looked over his glasses and sneered a little, but mostly kept his composure.

"Can I help you?" the goblin asked.

Harry cheerfully replied, "Yes, I want the full scan that Grushulk at the door told me about. I need to know about myself and any holdings that I have."

The goblin seemed surprised that the child in front of him could speak so clearly, even though he was so young. Either way, though, the child had business in mind, and that was all that mattered to him.

"Please step to the side, then, and another goblin will be up shortly to take you to the Inheritances Room."

Harry did as he asked, and waited by the gate he had noticed earlier. Stripe reminded Him of something, so before the teller could start with another customer, he spoke.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot my manners. My name is Harry, what's yours?"

The teller turned around and raised his eyebrow, but allowed the question.

"Well met, child, I am Griphook."

"Nice to meet you, Griphook. I hope to see you again!"

The goblin escort arrived just as Harry finished talking, and unlocked the gate from the other side using a large, ancient-looking key on a ring that held many more. He beckoned Harry through, but as soon as he passed the threshold, the door was slammed shut behind him and re-locked.

This goblin, who Harry found out was named Shrubbik, brought him past a rickety-looking wooden cart resting on tracks and down a hallway lined with doors. They all looked the same, wooden with steel hinges and defenses, except for one. This one looked to be entirely made of steel, with what looked like decorative carvings cut into it. That door was the one Harry was brought to.

Shrubbik banged on the door, and a low, gruff _Enter_ sounded from inside.

The door soundlessly swung open by itself, most likely by magic, and Harry entered alone, Shrubbik staying outside. It swung shut behind him, then with a flash of light around the frame, sealed shut. Harry turned to face the goblin inside.

He was large, slightly larger than the guards outside, and with scarred, hardened skin. This goblin was a warrior among warriors, and Harry knew, even with his limited knowledge, that this being had clawed his way through hell to get to the position he was currently in.

He was dressed in some sort of formal wear, made of the very best leathers skillfully cut and stitched together to be presentable even among humans. The desk he was sitting at was made of aged oak, worn smooth over time, and the chair was the same, but decorated with priceless gemstones.

He spoke, breaking Harry out of his observations.

"I am Ragnok, the Director of the London Branch of Gringotts. All Inheritance Rituals are conducted by me for security. Speak, child, and tell me your name and the purpose of your visit."

"I am Harry," said Harry. "I don't know my last name, or who my family is, or what I could be entitled to. I also don't know…" the last part was whispered.

"Speak louder, child, I cannot hear you," spoke Ragnok.

"I also don't know what I am." Harry spoke strongly this time. "I went through an Inheritance, I think, but I turned into something not human. The Inheritance Ritual is my best chance of finding out who and what I am." Stripe quietly hissed comforting words in his ear, showing his approval of Harry's strength.

Ragnok looked at Harry with a stony face. Inside though, he was bubbling with fury. Not at the child, no, but at the injustice of such a little being of unknown origins left with nothing but part of a name. He would find out who this small one belonged to, and give her what she came for; an identity. Of course, it had nothing to do with the images of his own little girl back home in the tunnels that had passed through his head during their conversation. Absolutely nothing at all.

"Alright, child, the process is fairly simple. You must drink this potion," Ragnok pulled a small glass vial the size of a salt shaker out of his desk, the royal purple contents swishing inside, "and wait ten minutes for it to circulate through your system. After that, I will prick your finger and drip ten drops of blood on the parchment."

He motioned to a needle laying on his desk, followed by a large roll of parchment that was also pulled out of his desk.

"The blood will act as ink and give us the information you desire. The fee for the test is ten Galleons, or one-hundred pounds. The fee will be taken from a vault, if you have one, or paid by the client when the ritual is complete. Any questions?"

Harry shook his head no and took the potion when it was offered to him. The stopper was pulled off easily and without problems, and Harry downed the potion in three big gulps. It tasted like lemons and chalk, for some strange reason, but overall it wasn't too bad and went down easily.

He spent the ten-minute waiting time asking all sorts of questions about Ragnok. By the end of the ten minutes, Harry knew Ragnok liked lizard skewers and mushrooms, liked working in the forge, and absolutely adored his four-year-old daughter who was learning how to be a warrior just like her Daddy. Apparently, she had already made her first kill too (a buck, to Ragnok's pleased suprise).

The ten minutes finished quickly though, and Harry was starting to get nervous. What would the paper say? Maybe he was really abandoned by his family, or maybe he never really had one to begin with; he didn't know, but he was about to find out.

Ragnok opened the parchment up, and held it down with weights. He then gestured for Harry to give him his hand, which Harry complied with. The goblin held his hand gently while pricking his finger, and allowed the mandatory ten drops to fall. After that, he tied a bandage around the cut, giving the blood enough time to form words.

Finally, with high hopes, both beings (and a Papa snake) looked down at the parchment that held the answers to their questions.


	4. Harry has a Family

**Harry**

 _Born: Head Harikos (Harry) James Potter_

 _Status: Living_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Birth Date: July 31, 1980_

 _Age: 5_

 _Race: High Fae/Earth Sprite (From Mother)_

 _Family_

 _Father: Lord Jameson Charlus Potter_

 _Status: Deceased_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Birth Date: March 27, 1960_

 _Death Date: October 31, 1981_

 _Age at Death: 21_

 _Race: Human_

 _Creature Blood: Vampire (7_ _th_ _Generation), Wind Elf (13_ _th_ _Generation, Partially Accessed)_

 _Mother: Lady Lillin Amorette Potter (nee Evans, of the Vejunast Line)_

 _Status: Deceased_

 _Gender: Female_

 _Birth Date: January 30, 1960_

 _Death Date: October 31, 1981_

 _Age at Death: 21_

 _Race: Human._

 _Creature Blood: High Fae (Father), Earth Sprite (3_ _rd_ _Generation, Partially Unlocked)_

 _Godfather: Sirius Orion Black_

 _Status: Incarcerated_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Birth Date: November 3, 1959_

 _Age: 26_

 _Godmother: Alice Periwinkle Longbottom_

 _Status: Mentally Incapacitated_

 _Gender: Female_

 _Birth Date: February 24, 1960_

 _Age: 26_

 _Vaults_

 _All Family Vaults are only accessible by the Head of the family. Permission may be granted to family members, but amount granted will be limited at the Head's discretion._

 _The Headship may not be passed to the next in line until the Heir has become at least seventeen years of age._

 _In the case of an underage Head, the following conditions must be met:_

 _The Head must take up the Lordship Ring as soon as he/she is aware of their status._

 _The Head must be either legally emancipated or have undergone a creature inheritance._

 _In the case of a Creature Inheritance in a Head under eleven years of age, a Proxy must be selected to advise the Head until schooling age._

 _All Wizengamot seats are to follow the same guidelines as the Vaults._

 _Potter Family Vault: 6,675,821,992,534 Galleons, 13 Sickles, 20 Knuts (Access Not Granted)_

 _Potter Trust Vault: 5,000 Galleons (Access Granted)_

 _Evans Family Vault: 34,736 Galleons, 6 Sickles, 24 Knuts (Access Not Granted)_

 _Black Family Vault: 7,754,982,367,837 Galleons, 4 Sickles, 5 Knuts (Access Not Granted)_

 _Vejunast Family Vault: 935,937,503,558,026,594 Galleons, 10 Sickles, 27 Knuts_

 _Properties_

 _Potter Family Manor: Unknown (Portkey)_

 _Evans House: 39 Tillburd Hill Road, Cokeworth, England_

 _Black Family Manor: Unknown (Portkey)_

 _Black Townhouse: 12 Grimmauld Place, London, England_

 _Marauder's Hideout: Unknown (Portkey)_

 _Wizengamot Seats_

 _Potter_

 _Black_

 _Creatures' Representative_

Harry hungrily devoured the words on the parchment in front of him. He paid absolutely no mind to the goblin sitting in front of him, nor the snake around his shoulders. All that mattered was the words written in front of him.

They told him the things he had desired most in life; who he was, what he was, and most importantly, who his family was.

 _Deceased._

It was such a harsh word, and made him hurt a little inside, but it was nowhere near as harsh as it could have been had it been replaced with _Living._ At least that meant he hadn't been abandoned. He had once had a family, and that was all that mattered to him.

However, some of the things written down were a little strange. Harry looked up to Ragnok in the hopes that he could help clarify things. He expected the same carefully blank expression as before, but what he found instead was sheer, unbridled joy. Ragnok was looking at him as if he had just found something precious that had been lost long ago.

Harry nervously asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? What is the matter? Did my Ritual say anything strange that I'm not understanding?"

"Harry…this sheet says so much more than what anyone could ever expect. Why don't we start with the small details first. You are the Boy-Who-Lived. Does that mean anything to you?"

He shook his head, confused at the term. Sighing in defeat, Ragnok started his explanation.

"Several years back, there was a Dark wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort. He inspired so much fear in the civilian wizarding populous though, that they dubbed him 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or You-Know-Who. Are you following so far?"

Harry nodded his head, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"His main goal was to make the world a pure place by eradicating muggles, or non-magical humans, and wizards who had muggle blood in them. The only magicals safe were those who had both maternal and paternal sets of magical grandparents. Aside from muggles, though, magical creatures and even purebloods who didn't agree with his ideals were targets as well."

On the chair in front of Ragnok sat a riveted Harry. Ragnok seemed to know just what to do in order to draw a listener into his story and make it sound like you were right in the middle of the conflict.

"It was a dark time for all magical beings, until there was a beacon of hope." Ragnok paused for dramatic effect.

"A prophesy was made by a seer. Now, the exact contents are known to only a few individuals, as well as the identity of the seer, but the basic knowledge was leaked out. A baby would be born who could end the war and defeat Voldemort for good."

Harry now had a pretty good idea where this was going, and he didn't like it one bit. The idea that something could make certain events happen, despite the wills of the participants…it made him shiver.

"That baby ended up being you, Harry. So, on the night of Samhain in the year 1981, Voldemort attacked the house you and your family lived in. However, no one is sure of the exact events that took place in that house. All that anyone knows is that both of your parents died, Voldemort was destroyed, and you were left with a scar on your brow."

Harry brought his hand up to his scar, feeling along the raised lines. Ragnok watched the movement with his eyes, an expression like sorrow, maybe tinged with anger, rested on his face.

He coughed, gaining Harry's attention again.

"Unfortunately, that is not the heaviest bit of knowledge I will need to give you. Your mother has a second name attached to hers, and that can only mean that the father she was born of and the one that raised her are completely different people."

"Wait, are you saying that she had a different father than the one my Aunt Petunia had?" Harry broke in saying, feeling shocked.

"I can't know for sure, but most likely, if my suspicions are correct."

"But why is it important? Why did you…" Harry was interrupted by Stripe.

 _"Patience, hatchling. The goblin in front of usss obviousssly hasss more to sssay. I'm sssure he will anssswer your quessstionsss in due time."_

Grumbling, Harry acquiesced to the gentle chiding, and sat back to listen.

Looking pleased at having Harry's attention once more, Ragnok continued.

"The name Vejunast is of a royal High Fae line, specifically, it is the one belonging to the King. He is one of the highest ranking monarch, only sharing that power with the King of the High Elves. He has remained solitary and without a mate nor heir for many years now, never choosing to settle down. There are rumors, however, that he once had romantic affairs with a mortal woman a long time ago, but she ran away after confessing that she was already married and had a child.

Harry was in shock. If what Ragnok was saying was true, then he was the grandson of a King, and to be honest, it absolutely terrified him. He remembered reading discarded newspapers that printed all about the Queen of England's everyday doings, and those of her family. A life where your everyday was monitored by strangers, and exposed for entertainment for the masses…it made him shudder.

There was also a bit of disgust in there too, at the thought of his grandmother having sex with his grandfather behind her husband's back. Although it may be weird to most people for a five year old to already be familiar with sex, for Harry, it was normal. His Aunt had always had him doing the laundry for years, and one time he had mistakenly asked what the stains were in his relatives' sheets. Aunt Petunia had gleefully taken the opportunity to permanently scar him with as much information as she could, just so she could take joy from his discomfort. For a good few weeks afterwards, she had made sure that there were extra stains on the sheets, and that all of the laundry had to be done with his bare hands.

But, Harry's thoughts were tinged with a little bit of excitement and longing, too. There was someone left, someone _alive,_ who was family. Maybe someone who would make _him_ breakfast, instead of the other way around. Who would teach him things, all sorts of things, about everything around him, instead of leaving him in the dark. Who would take him fun places, and laugh along with him, and not just bring home pictures for him to know what he missed. Who would bandage his injuries, and not revel in his cries, or worse, actually cause them. Who would tuck him into bed at night and read him a story, and not leave him cold and alone on the floor in the dark.

It was when Harry remembered the comforting feel of scales on his skin that brought up feelings of guiltiness. What right did Harry have to long after something when he already had his Papa? He didn't have any reason to feel so ungrateful for the things he was given in life, especially when there was so little. You should always treasure everything given to you, no matter how unimportant it may seem.

As if sensing his thoughts, Stripe rubbed soothing circles on his skin with the tip of his tail, and whispered comforting words in his ear.

" _No matter what you do with thisss information, or who you decide to go to, I will alwaysss be here. I know thisss bond is jussst a day old, and that we really haven't been together that long, I will alwaysss comfort you. Never will I ssstop being your Papa, and alwaysss will you be my bambino."_

Harry smiled a little, then looked to Ragnok who was looking a little sad. Noticing his questioning glance, Ragnok explained his thoughts.

"Well, I know that it can be a little exciting to have found family, unfortunately, I don't think it would be best to follow through and let the King know of your existence."

"What? Well, why not? Shouldn't he…"

"I know what you're thinking," Ragnok said, interrupting Harry's outburst. "And usually, you would be right. The King should know that there is an Heir out in the world. However, there is unrest in the Kingdom right now."

Ragnok looked around nervously, as if checking to make sure no one was in the room with them. It made Harry a little nervous, too. What could be so bad that Ragnok looked scared?

"You have a great uncle, the younger brother of your grandfather. As is tradition with the monarchs, the eldest son inherits the throne, most of the time. Your great uncle was rumored to have been bitter about it, but really, there was nothing he could do. Any actions would have placed suspicion on him. However, recently, he has given birth to a son. With no Heir, your great uncle can petition for his own heir to become King one day, therefore setting himself up as a Proxy. Your existence will threaten him, possibly causing him to send assassins to solidify his claim."

It made Harry cringe. He really didn't want something so terrible happening, and it just made him sad to see that, yet again, another family member was out of his reach. He was pensive for a mew moments, but then, Ragnok spoke again.

"All I can suggest, however, is for you to watch your back, and get stronger. There may come a time where your great uncle will find out you exist, and it would be best if you trained yourself for that eventuality."

Harry nodded, his resolve firm. That's right, his remaining family wasn't lost to him, just out of his reach for a while. All he had to do was get strong enough to defend himself and the people he cared about, and he could finally meet his grandfather. The more he trained, the faster his goal would be attained.

That thought made him smile a little bit.

Ragnok, seeing the young Heir happy again, cleared his throat to ask a question.

"May I ask you for a small favor, small one?"

Harry, curious to see what the goblin wanted from him, nodded his head in agreement.

"It has been many years since a High Fae has graced my eyes, and I wished to ask if you wouldn't mind showing me the physical attributes you gained from your Inheritance? If it's too much to ask, go ahead and deny, you won't hurt my feelings, but…"

Harry looked confused, then asked, "What do you mean? You already saw some of them, remember? You held my hand, so you must have seen the tattoos on my arm and hand."

It was Ragnok's turn to look confused, but then he suddenly understood, and laughed at the realization.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You are a High Fae and Earth Sprite, aren't you? Anyways, the tattoos must come from the Earth Sprite part of your heritage. Sprites gain tattoos at the age of five, when they are set to begin magical training, which specifies their natural element. No one can see the tattoos, other than the Sprite himself/herself, unless they are actively using their magic, or until they reach the age of maturity, when it is time to find a mate."

Harry listened wide eyed in understanding, then, as soon as he realized Ragnok had stopped, spoke.

"Oh, thank you for explaining. To answer your question, no, I don't mind; just give me a second."

Harry then reached to pull down his hood, suddenly feeling a bit shy when his fingers just barely touched the fabric, but shook it away and closed his eyes as he dropped the hood. He made short work of the ties closing his cloak around his neck, then opened his eyes as soon as he felt his wings spring free and stand up at their natural position.

Ragnok stared in amazement as the face of the little girl in front of him was revealed… _wait, didn't her parchment say she was male? Well, won't he be shocked when what I have to tell him is revealed?_ Ragnok made sure to keep the smirk was off of his face so as not to ruin the surprise.

Still, though, he marveled at the unique features of the young one in front of him, and explained what he saw, correctly assuming the young one had no idea what his attributes symbolized.

"You really do have a perfect mix of High Fae and Earth Sprite in your features though. The beautiful features can come from either one, but the long hair and large eyes are definitely part of the High Fae side. You may even find that over time, your hair will grow much longer. What is interesting, though, is your wings. High Fae are the only Fae that have wings, and they are always styled like a butterfly's. They are large, gaudy, and with so many different patterns and colors that you will never see the same set twice. The High Fae are also a wise and great race, taking their time in life and almost never in a rush."

However," he continued, "Yours are humble but beautiful, like a dragonfly's. Even the coloring is simple, matching the earth, yet has enough presence to draw the eye of everyone in the room. They also hint that you will be able to fly at great speeds, like a dragonfly. Like the Sprites, you can infer, for they are a mischievous race, and are always playing, but never staying in one place for too long, eager to see the world and experience all it has to offer."

He then got a look on his face, one that suggested scary things were about to happen, then promptly dropped a bomb on Harry.

"Also, the Sprites are very sensual creatures, not afraid to share their bodies with male and female alike, not discriminant against gender. As such, both genders have the ability to conceive a child."

He ignored Harry's sputtering.

"If your looks hadn't been so feminine, there could have been a chance you ended up more like the High Fae in regards to only females as the mothers, but, well, wider hips are specifically made for child birthing, and…"

"Stop! Stop, ok?" Harry asked pleadingly. "I don't want to think about…sex…right now, so can we please change the conversation?"

Ragnok snorted in amusement at that, then looked down at the sheet to see what was next on the agenda.

Meanwhile, Harry started thinking about all that had been said. He was truly grateful for Ragnok for taking the time to explain some particulars about the races he belonged to, but he knew that was only the tip of the iceberg. He would have to find and purchase some books and study up on all the things he should have learned growing up in their societies. Their particular magics, habits, diets, and even social customs. Since he was technically royalty, he should probably study up on formal dress and behavior, as well as general political knowledge. That, and all of the wizard customs too, as he was also a part of that world, especially with his reputation as a Savior.

However, there was one thing that kept bugging him about part of his and Ragnok's earlier conversation. He figured he'd bring it up at the end of their meeting today.

Harry was brought to attention when Ragnok grunted, having successfully located where they had left off.

"My sincerest apologies for having gotten off track, we do have a lot of things we have to go through. Next on the list is your Vaults and Wizengamot seats. As you have no doubt read on your Ritual parchment, as the last living member of your Family, and having gone through a Creature Inheritance, you can be elevated to Head of your Family. There are still some procedures that must be taken, but first…"

Ragnok reached into his desk, and pulled out three plain-looking black ring boxes.

"These were summoned into my desk as part of the magic in the parchment wills them to. If they accept you, all but the third will act as portkeys to the properties you now own with just your intention, and the place you wish to go, in mind. Now, the first part of your Headship involves accepting the Lordship rings. Will you accept?"

Harry nodded, realizing this was important. Not just for him, though, but for the goblins as well. Having that much wealth just sitting and not being part of the bank's monetary flow must have hurt them quite a bit.

"Very well," Ragnok said. "First, you must put on the Potter Family Lordship Ring, as it is the patriarchal Family, and therefore, most important."

Ragnok opened one of the boxes, and Harry saw a large, gaudy gold ring sitting in the cushion. It had tiny sapphires encrusted in blockish patterns around the center stone, which, again, was a sapphire, but oval-shaped and flat on the top where a golden eagle could be seen standing proudly. Across the top of the large ruby was POTTER written in blocky gold letters.

He gestured for Harry to pick it up, and as soon as he did, Harry felt blazing hot magic swirl around his own, testing it, and looking for something. The magic must have found whatever it was, and settled down, releasing Harry from its invasive clutches.

Harry shakily put the ring on his right hand ring finger, then Ragnok opened the second box.

"This is the Black Family Lordship Ring. As the last known Head is imprisoned, and the other candidate is too young and doesn't meet the requirements, the ring falls to you, as your paternal grandmother was a Black. Please take the ring."

This ring was just as large, but not quite as gaudy as the first one. It was made of silver, with small onyx gemstones circling the large, square-shaped onyx stone. The stone was flat on the top, like the first, but had a silver jackal laying on it instead. The word BLACK was spelled out on the top of the large gem, similar to the Potter ring.

The magic that invaded his soul this time was icy, and brutally gripped his magic with frigid tendrils and prying open his mind for its perusal. It did find what it was looking for eventually, and retreated back to the ring, leaving Harry a shaking, shuddering mess. This one, Harry was to put on his right hand middle finger.

The last ring Ragnok picked up gently, offering the ring to Harry as if it was the greatest of treasures to marvel at.

"This ring…is the Vejunast Heir Diadem. Normally, it would be the very first item you put on, but as it is only the Heir Diadem, and two generations down, the Potter Lordship and Black Lordship Rings take precedence."

When Ragnok opened the box, Harry was blown away. Inside the box was a tiny, fragile-looking circlet. It was made of what looked like braided silver with little diamond flakes patterned in tiny swirls around each strand. On the top was an emerald teardrop with shimmery, crystal wings that connected with a tiny, dangling, circular pearl.

As soon as Harry picked up the circlet, it resized from the size of a ring into the size of a small circle that would fit around his head. The gems were larger now, but still small enough to look tasteful while still showing his outstanding position in the political hierarchy. He raised it over his head and lowered it, the diadem automatically settling so that the band was sitting in the middle of his forehead, the pearl dangling right between his eyebrows. His bangs automatically settled over the diadem, partially hiding it from view but at the same time, accentuating it and drawing attention to it in a subtle manner.

Immediately, Harry could feel the magic flow through him into his core, but this time, it wasn't painful. The magic felt old and wise, but very kind, and it was gentle in its probing. It even seemed to _tsk_ in disapproval at the lingering pain from the Family Rings, and soothed the edges of his ruffled magic with healing pulses and warm emotions.

When it found what it was looking for, Harry felt the magic _sing_ with happiness at having finally found a bearer, and retreated to the ring with promises to visit again. Harry was left feeling euphoric and relaxed, wishing he could have had more time with Her.

Ragnok brought him back to the task at hand with a cough.

"That diadem was made to represent the leader of magical creatures perfectly. The silver symbolizes magical strength, the diamonds for the wind, emerald for the earth, crystal for purity in the bearer, and a pearl for the sea. All have creatures that have Her gifts and are a part of Her world."

He then lost the rest of the reverence he had for Her, Mother Magic, and came back to the task at hand.

"As you may have noticed, each of the items here searched inside your soul for one important aspect. The Potter Ring searches for courage, but it must always be tempered with knowledge, for courage without knowledge is just foolhardy. The Black Ring searches for ambition, but never without cunning, for ambition without cunning is always doomed to fail."

Ragnok had to mentally prepare himself for the last one.

"The Vejunast Royal Heir Diadem is unique in that it is not family magic searching your soul, but Mother Magic Herself instead. She searches for purity and kindness, strength and gentleness, but most of all, potential. She sees all that has been, is, and will be. Those who hold the diadem on their brow are personally tested because they will lead a race of beings at the very top of the hierarchy, and the closest to Her."

Harry was humbled by what Ragnok had just told him. He had been given such a big responsibility, and he didn't even know anything about the people he was supposed to be a leader of. It made him feel slightly ashamed of himself, but then he realized there was nothing to be ashamed of. Magic had chosen him for this job, and there was no way he would discredit Her by saying She had chosen wrong. Instead, all he could was do his very best to live up to Her expectations.

Once, he saw that Harry had straightened himself out, Ragnok moved on.

"Now, we need to organize a Proxy for you, seeing how you are under eleven years of age. This person will help you handle your finances, Wizengamot seats, and your estates. Normally, one of your godparents as a primary magical guardian would handle it, but as one is incarcerated and the other incapable of the task, one will need to be appointed. As…"

"Wait," Harry interrupted. "What about my magical guardian?"

Ragnok paused, looked over the parchment, then frowned in confusion.

"It should be impossible for you have one, as both godparents are the only ones assigned…but it seems you have a being named 'Stripe' listed. Care to explain?"

Harry explained the circumstances surrounding his and Stripe's bonding, and Ragnok nodded.

"It's a highly unusual circumstance, but nevertheless, as Magic has decreed it, it became perfectly legal and binding. It works out well, because only you will be able to hear his council, keeping most of your secrets away from ears you don't want listening in."

Harry smiled at Stripe, who had uncurled around his shoulders a little bit to present himself to Ragnok.

"However, in order to prove his authenticity to the Wizengamot, Stripe will need to wear some sort of accessory with all the Crests engraved into it. My suggestion would be three piercings at the end of his tail. Anything else would slide off and not be solid proof."

Harry agreed, and the simple process was explained to him.

"All you have to do is fill out this request form, stamp each of the crests on the spaces provided, and the magic will automatically solidify into the accessory requested. Here, see for yourself."

The form was basic, asking for his name, Stripe's name, the number of Houses that needed to be claimed, and what kind of jewelry you request.

At the bottom, there were three blank squares, and Harry stamped one ring in each square. Seconds later, the magical stamps swirled in each square into a small, curled, metal stem with a ball at each end. For the Potter peircing, the metal used was gold; one ball was a sapphire, the other was solid gold with an eagle engraved on it. The Black peircing was silver; an onyx ball at one end, a solid silver ball with an engraved jackal at the other. The Vejunast peircing, however, was silver like the Black ring, but looked much lighter in color. The ball at one end was pure diamond, with a dangling emerald, crystal, and pearl ball connected together like a chain, in that order, in descending size. The other side's ball was the same silver, with a pair of engraved wings on it.

Harry felt the magic in the last one encourage him, so he followed his instincts and moved the Potter one up to his Papa's tail, three inches before the very end. As soon as it touched Stripe's scaly skin, it painlessly pierced itself through and healed up instantly. The other two followed the first, spaced out about half an inch from each other, with the Vejunast last.

Ragnok then finished up the last item that needed to be addressed.

"Now that that's settled, we need to discuss your duties to the Wizengamot. Every Saturday morning at nine a meeting takes place in Courtroom 10. You will be alerted to any emergency meetings by your badge," here, Ragnok pulled out a golden, W-shaped pin for a cloak, "heating up. From there, you will have thirty minutes to don your robes, leave any warded areas, portkey to the Ministry, and enter the courtroom."

He paused to catch his breath.

"The pin itself is the portkey you will be using, the password is _justice._ It will also return you to whatever location you left, no matter how far, with the word _served._ A cloak can be picked up at any robe shop, just show them your pin and you will be allowed to purchase one. Also, as soon as either it hits nine o' clock, or the thirty minutes have passed, the doors will seal shut, and will not reopen until after the meeting is over. As a new member, you have exactly one month to acquaint yourself with the meeting rules and duties of your position. Any questions?"

Harry shook his head, then yawned loudly. Ragnok chuckled, then continued.

"It seems like it's past your bedtime, child, and you have just been given a ton of information. Go to your resting place, get some sleep, and do the rest of your business tomorrow. In the morning, you can sort out what it is that needs to be done, after all, you have your whole future ahead of you."

Harry started to nod his head, but remembered something that he had wanted to talk about.

"Oh, I have one more thing I think we need to talk about. Earlier, you ssaid that it would be best for me to stay hidden from the High Fae, right? I don't really agree with that. I think my grandfather deserves to know I exist, even if I can't come out to the public as his Heir."\

Ragnok frowned, and immediately disagreed.

"I don't think that is such a good idea. Your great uncle could very easily find out, and you are not strong enough to fight them. The High Fae will be able to find you anywhere in the magical world, and the non-magical one just simply doesn't have enough resources to make you strong enough to defend yourself."

Harry looked dismayed, and wracked his brain desperately for some sort of answer. Then, it clicked. The answer to everything. A way to give his grandfather reassurance and reaffirm his hold on the throne, while still being able to hide from those who would do him harm. A place in the non-magical world that could give him the tools he needs.

The Hunters.

"Ragnok, have you ever heard of the Hunters?"

Ragnok went white with something akin to _fear_ crossing his face _,_ before slowly gaining color, a smile slowly forming in its place.

"Interesting…they are a powerful non-magical organization of individuals, with even the weakest able to send most wizards running, screaming with fear. Even the normal non-magicals are aware of them, as technically, none of them are magical. If you are able to integrate yourself with that group, you will have power in both the non-magical and magical worlds…excellent. I approve.

"How about this, then? I will give you a week to get your affairs settled here, then I will report your existence to the King. You will need to be gone by the time limit, and only come back for Wizengamot meetings and more supplies. In that respect, I recommend you get some catalogues from the wizarding stores, and either an owl or a house elf to purchase the supplies for you. Sleep on it, and come visit me tomorrow. I will have a goblin escort you as soon as you arrive, and I will be able to help you a little more."

Harry thanked him graciously, tied on his cloak, threw the hood up, and turned to leave. The door then seemed to hiss, as if releasing steam, while being unsealed. Once opened, Harry saw the same goblin as before, Shrubbik, waiting to escort him back to the main part of the bank. Harry made sure to say _thank you_ and _goodbye_ to both Shrubbik and Griphook, and again to Grushulk and Thornburg as he left.

Harry fast-walked to the opening to _The Leaky Cauldron,_ then, after tapping the correct pattern on the bricks, was allowed through and into the pub. He walked right through the pub, and, at Stripe's advice, asked Tom if he could use some floo powder and borrow the floo. Tom agreed, and Harry was on his way home.

The traveling made Harry queasy, especially because during the short trip, he felt like he was being spun in circles and sling-shot in all directions.

The result being a dizzy, stumbling Harry that was shot out of the fireplace with an angrily hissing snake swaying on his shoulders. Harry didn't even bother to look around, and just collapsed right there on the couch in the receiving room for a night of blissful, uninterrupted sleep.


	5. Harry is Molested

**Okay, so I feel like I need to apologize. These last two weeks have been so busy for me. I had work, college, Thanksgiving (ugh), plus a little project one of my best friends asked me to do. In my spare time, I'm a mechanic, and she brought me an old Kawasaki KZ 1000 police motorcycle. She wanted me to fix it up and turn it into a bike to be proud of. All of my free time was ripped from me, but still, I was able to piece this together little-by-little. Be warned, though, I have finals next week so it might be a while again before I can update again. Sorry, but that's the price to pay.**

 **Anyways, this chapter is a little harsher than most. WARNING: THIS CHAPTER DOES HAVE A LITTLE CHILD MOLESTATION. With that, enjoy!**

Albus Dumbledore was widely known as a kind, eccentric, old man. He commonly wore robes in a variety of strange patterns in blindingly bright colors. His baby blue eyes were known to twinkle from behind half-moon glasses, and his snow white beard was long enough for him to tuck into his belt.

This man was also the Headmaster of Hogwarts, a school for young witches and wizards, located in Scotland. He spent the majority of his days up in his office, keeping his school running smoothly and making sure that all of the pupils under his care were learning enough for the school to be widely recognized as the best in existence.

However, Dumbledore wasn't just a headmaster of a school, but the Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot meetings and a member of the International Confederation of Wizards. However kind an old man may appear on the outside is never the truth when said old man is a politician.

Dumbledore was definitely a politician in the way he manages to hold on to his outside appearance while still manipulating others from behind the scenes.

To Dumbledore's eyes, the world was a giant chessboard for him to play at his whims.

His most recent project was the life of a boy named Harry Potter. It all started about a year before he was born and Dumbledore heard a prophecy that could have concerned either Harry or another boy named Neville Longbottom.

This prophesy stated:

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…_

 _Born to those who have thrice defied him,_

 _Born as the seventh month dies…_

 _And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,_

 _But he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…_

 _And either mist die at the hand of the other_

 _For neither can live while the other survives…_

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord_

 _Will be born as the seventh month dies._

The day that the Dark Lord, Voldemort, targeted the Potter child was the day that the prophecy had begun to come to fruition.

Harry's father, James Potter, had fallen first trying to save his family from Voldemort. However, the Dark Lord was too strong and felled the wizard with an _Avada Kedavra,_ a killing curse.

Lily Potter, Harry's mother, was killed next. She had been standing in front of Harry's crib, trying desperately to save her only child. It had been all for naught, though, as she was taken down with barely an effort.

Voldemort had then fired the toxic green killing curse at Harry, but somehow, the curse rebounded straight back at the castor. The Dark Lord's physical form disintegrated into dust, leaving behind a pile of black robes.

That night, Dumbledore convinced Hagrid, Hogwart's Groundkeeper, to fetch Harry from the house and bring him to a small neighborhood, Little Whinging, only to deposit him on the doorstep of his relatives' house.

Dumbledore then proceeded to cast a very special set of wards that would keep anybody with the blood running through Harry's veins tied together inside. They would also monitor the health and status of the family inside, and report any changes.

He had also posted a squib member of his organization, The Order of the Phoenix, to give him more detailed reports of the family's everyday activities.

It was very unfortunate, however, that the day Harry Potter turned five was the day that Harry's blood had changed to match more closely his maternal grandfather. Petunia, who until that moment had shared some familial blood connection to her nephew, no longer had anything tying her to him. This made it possible for Harry to leave and not get trapped by the wards. Their secondary function also was easily bypassed, as technically, since Harry wasn't recognized anymore, the only person still under their effects was Petunia. As she was still as healthy as ever, nothing strange was reported to Dumbledore.

Arabella Figg, the squib that had been posing as a neighbor under Dumbledore's orders, had been recovering in the hospital from tuberculosis. She hadn't been there to see what had gone down in the house that summer day.

So, the fact that Harry had left his relatives' house would go undiscovered until a few weeks later when, after coming home a few days prior Arabella noticed Harry hadn't done his outside chores, she would go to check up on him. There, Arabella would discover Harry had "run away," and proceed to floo call Dumbledore.

When Dumbledore would receive the frantic call from Ms. Figg, he would immediately rush through to her home so he could investigate. The Dursleys, being uncooperative, would deny him entrance and he would use his skills at _Legilimency_ for any clues. Unfortunately, none would be found, and Dumbledore would go back to Hogwarts where he could binge on lemon drops to raise his mood now that his favorite pawn was missing.

Harry woke up that morning feeling very out of place. He was laying on a fancy, old-fashioned gray suede couch, his head cushioned by a striped orange decorative pillow. The room he had apparently been sleeping in looked very high class, with cream colored walls that had painted rose detailing, and wooden furniture matching the style of the couch he was laying on. Then, it all came back to him.

Yesterday, he had come into his inheritance and had gone to Gringotts to find out who he was. From there, he had learned a lot about his species, family, properties, and most importantly, his name.

 _Harikos James Potter_

Harry now knows who he was, and who his parents were. He now knows that they loved him, and that he wasn't abandoned. His parchment had even said that he had family left, and that he was royalty!

But, not just that, but Harry had discovered that other types of magical beings exist, like him. He had met that goblin guard, Grushulk, and had become friends.

Speaking of goblins, Harry had so many things to do today. He had another meeting with the goblin so he could prepare himself to leave the Wizarding World and become a Hunter. _But first…_

Harry looked down at his clothes with trepidation. He was still wearing the dress from yesterday, not having the energy to change when he landed inside the Receiving Room of Potter Manor. Yesterday, Harry had intended to shop and get new clothing, stuff actually meant for boys, but he just hadn't had the time. Today, though, he'd make a stop at a clothing store for new things.

To do that, though, Harry needed to get ready to leave. He needed a shower, clean clothes, and Stripe…

Speaking of Stripe, where was he? Harry knows that he was there when he exited the floo last night, but where could he have gone?

Hesitantly, Harry called out for him. "Stripe? Where are you? Where did you…"

Just then, Harry heard a soft pop before a creature appeared in front of him. It was small, maybe coming up to his chest, so about thigh high on an adult, and had wrinkled beige skin. Large floppy ears hung from the side of its head, with small tufts of hair sprouting on its nearly bald scalp. It was dressed in a white tea towel tied like a toga, with what Harry recognized as the Potter crest embroidered on the shoulder strap.

The small creature began to speak in a squeaky, male voice. "I's be Blinky, Little Master Potter, sir. Can's I do anything's for you's?"

Harry just blinked, but then his curiosity bubbled up inside of him and he exploded yet again. "What are you? Why are you here? Little Master; what does that mean? Where did you come from? Do you know where Stripe is? He's a black and red striped snake about as long as I am tall."

Blinky looked startled, but answered the questions with no complaint. "Blinky's be a House Elf, sir, and is being a servant of the Great Potter Family. Little Master be's Little Master 'cause you's Little Potter Family Lordsie, yes you's be. Little Master's snakie be's in the garden feastings on the rodents. We's Potter Elves be keeping all vermins out of the house."

The little elf seemed very proud at that last fact, and had pushed his chest out in pride like it was a great accomplishment.

Harry remembered something that Ragnok had told him yesterday. He had said that it would be a good idea to get a house elf to fetch things for him so that Harry wouldn't have to come back to the Wizarding World to fetch supplies. As a matter of fact, he even remembered Stripe saying something about magical servants.

He shook the curiosity out of his mind, though, and managed to get back on track, vowing to pick up a book on house elves later. For now though, he wanted to bathe, then talk to Stripe about what they had discovered yesterday.

"I see, thank you, Blinky, for telling me all that." Blinky seemed to tear up at this, looking ready to jump in joy.

"Blinky's be having a nice Master, yes he's do. Little Master so kind, Blinky's be so happy."

Harry looked vaguely uncomfortable, and cleared his throat to go on. "Yes, well, anyways, I would like to take a shower and get dressed. I have many things to do today."

Blinky looked vaguely disturbed at this. "Why would Little Master's be desiring a bath? Little Master is so great and kind, a bath won't do's. Great Little Masters will be's taking a grand bath in the bathing chambers. He's be's so pretty, peasent shower's not being enough for Little Master."

Before he could even blink, the little house elf had snapped their fingers and made them both disappear instantly, only to reappear less than a second later inside what could only be described as the largest and most grand bathroom Harry had ever seen in his life.

The room must have been larger than the Dursley's house, with mint green walls with dark green swirling designs tastefully dancing around. However, the main centerpiece was the absolutely _gigantic_ white marble bathtub sunk into the ground that might as well have been a swimming pool. Right in the center, however, was a large fixture, that could have been a water fountain, but was, in all actuality, a series of faucets designed in tiered circular layers like a wedding cake. They were all made out of shimmering, pure gold. Harry was at a loss as to what their purpose could be.

Blinky snapped his fingers again, and some of the bath faucets started to spray steaming liquid. Most sprayed clear liquids, probably water, but the others released fluids of many different colors. Harry could see purple, pink, blue, yellow…it just went on and on. Next to him, Blinky was muttering.

"Dandelion for's skin, ginger's be revitalizing, lavender's and mint for smooth, beautiful's skin, and rose for scent and overall beauty, hair must be…"

Harry couldn't hear anymore, but he still got the idea. Each of the taps must have different types of scents and herbs inside for different uses. He remembered his aunt talking about how one of their old neighbors used herbal remedies, and how "unnatural" it was. Well, he'd reserve judgement until he was in the water.

The taps filled the tub very quickly, taking less than three minutes to fill completely. In the meanwhile, Blinky was busy flitting about, preparing a variety of things like scrubbing tools, towels, and even a platter of cheese and fruit, which Harry gladly took. However, as soon as the water had reached the very top, the faucets shut off, and Blinky turned serious. Harry felt a shiver go down his spine, warning him that something was off, before Blinky snapped his fingers, stripping Harry of all his clothes.\

Harry only had time to yelp and try to cover his intimate parts, before he was magically settled into the tub onto what could only be a lounge chair. He was lowered until the water came up to his collarbone. However, Harry hadn't really noticed that, for as soon as the water touched his body, he melted into a figurative pile of goo.

At the Dursley's, the only baths Harry had taken were when he still couldn't clean himself, and his aunt had used the leftover, luke-warm water that had still remained in the tub after Dudley's bath, not wanting to waste any water on the "freak."

But, even without anything to compare it to, Harry was sure that this was possibly the best bath in existence.

The water was just the right temperature, Hot enough to soothe muscles and deep clean his every pore, while at the same time not hot enough to scald. The mixture of scents wafting in the air calmed him and made his mind relax, the stress just evaporating away with the steamy water.

Harry was given an unknown amount of time to just soak in the water before his hazy mind was given an abrupt wake-up call curtesy of Blinky.

The lounge chair sat him up and then proceeded to turn into a plain, backless stool. From there, Blinky proceeded to scrub Harry's every nook and cranny with a gentle, yet thorough cleaning.

Of course, the washing started out simple, with his hair, arms, legs, back, and stomach. Special care was taken to clean Harry's wings, the base being rubbed gently, and the wings themselves just getting a soapy rinsing. However, then Blinky started to get invasive. He took the washcloth to Harry's groin, scrubbing all around, under, and between the delicate folds that made up his man-parts. Harry tried to push him away, but Blinky was stubborn and even resulted to using magic to stop him from thrashing. Even the skin gently folding around his prick's little pink tip was scrubbed, before the little hole there was rubbed down last.

It was when he was magically levitated and turned around to lie on his stomach across the stool that Harry voiced his complaints.

"This is so embarrassing, why do you need to scrub so much? Can't I do those parts instead?"

Blinky replied with, "Little Master's not to clean his privates. He may's be's missing parts, and they's be needing the best scrubbing. Little Master needs to attract mates, so he's privates be needing extra cleaning."

That seemed to be all Blinky was going to say before he went to work on Harry's arse hole. He magically pried Harry's legs apart, pinning them down and to the side so he couldn't escape. Then, he took the cloth to Harry's hole, first scrubbing it from the base of his spine all the way down between his cheeks to his perennial, making sure the long strip was cleaner than Harry was sure it had ever been before.

Next, though, he took the soft cloth and rubbed circles over his little hole, taking extra time to get between the little creases spreading around it like rays around a little sun. However, the most invasive thing Harry had ever felt was when the spindly fingers of the house elf pushed the cloth inside of him and circled around.

Harry felt so invaded, and knowing all about sex, knew this could be considered rape, and he began to cry. He knew he couldn't move anywhere, so he just lay there limply, tears running down his reddened cheeks from shame and embarrassment, only to fall and disappear into the water of the bath.

Soon, though, the rag was pulled clean, and Harry was released from his invisible, magical bindings, only to be levitated from the stool and wrapped in a large, warmed, white fluffy towel. He meekly sat against the bathroom wall, his legs pulled to his chest, tears still running down his face.

Seeing his Little Master so distressed, Blinky tried to approach and comfort Harry, only to freeze when the crying got harsher.

"Why be's Little Master so unhappy? Blinky was a good elf, getting Little Master prepared for mates. Little Master be needing to be's clean."

"You…" sniff, "You can't just do that to someone you just met. In fact," another sniff, "only people important to you should ever see, and especially touch, you on your private parts."

Blinky still looked confused, and said as much. "But I's be cleaning Potter Masters for generations, and Blinky's family for's longer. Little Submissive Masters all be's cleaned since they's in diapers to be perfect for mates. Blinky be's doing only his job."

Harry slowly stopped crying at the reassuring words from the elf, and wiped his face in the towel. Maybe Blinky just didn't know that what he was doing was actually inappropriate to those who grew up outside the family?

"I didn't grow up here, Blinky. For everyone outside of this manor, only the most disgraceful of people touch somebody without their permission," explained Harry. "Never again will you do my cleaning for me. You can give me instructions and advice, but no touching, and no looking if I say so. Also, no more magically pinning me down unless it is for my protection."

Blinky looked disheartened, but nodded anyways. Harry _was_ the Master of the Manor, and always had to be obeyed.

Harry dried his hair gently with the towel, and spoke. "I need to get dressed now and eat breakfast. Will you take me to my bag and make breakfast while I get changed?"

Excited that he seemed to have been given a task to complete, Blinky snapped his fingers and transported them to a room somewhere.

"This be's the Master Bedroom, Little Master. Your clothes be's in the wardrobe. I's be making breakfast now, call for Blinky when you's be done."

Blinky popped away and Harry was left alone to get dressed. In a way, he treasured this alone time more than anything, especially after the cleaning he had received. Harry may have put up a front in front of Blinky after he stopped crying, but he was still shaken up inside. He couldn't do _anything_ against Blinky when he had been magically pinned. He needed to get stronger so that one day, if someone with less-than-honorable intentions tried to do something to him, he could adequately defend himself.

Harry shook himself out of his musings and looked around to take in is surroundings. Underneath his feet, the floor was made of light-colored wood, and lavender-colored carpets were artfully scattered around. The room around him was huge, at least three times the size of the bathroom he had just been in. The walls were a cream color, with golden vines trailing across the walls with delicate swirls and little purple flowers. The furniture was all an antique style, made with dark wood, and had little swirling lines all over them.

However, the most noticeable detail in the room was the absolutely gigantic bed. It was the size of three king-sized beds put together, and was tall and thick. Harry was honestly afraid he would drown in it. Royal purple sheets adorned the mattress, and the four pillars at each of the corners of the bed were connected by sheer drapes colored a light lavender with dark purple flowery embroidery.

Harry shook himself out of his revelry and decided that he really should get some clothes on. Across from him was a large wardrobe, and when Harry pulled open the doors, he discovered that the inside had been magically altered so it could hold more inside. Adult-sized clothes were still hanging inside from the previous Master of the house, but right next to them were his own that he had stolen from Petunia.

Disgruntled that he still hadn't picked up any new clothes yet, Harry dropped his towel and pulled on a little pair of girl's panties, knowing that boxers did not fit well, _at all_ , under a dress. The one he picked out this time was a light lavender color, like the drapes around the bed, and was strapless, only tying around his body, right under his chest, by a dark purple ribbon. It was the same length as the other one, but wasn't puffy, instead, it was made with a cream colored under sheath and sheer, purple outer fabric that looked like it floated. He paired it with a pair of white tights and the same boots Harry had worn yesterday.

Harry used a comb he found on the dressing table, and combed through his long hair until it was straight, even if it was still a little damp.

Deeming he was ready, Harry called out for Blinky, who promptly appeared and flashed them to what he could only assume was the dining room table. It was long, and made using the same furniture style Harry realized was spread throughout the entire house. It must have been fifty seats long, with one seat at one end that looked more ornate than the others, as the backrest was decorated with the Potter crest.

At that end, Blinky had prepared a feast. Waffles, pancakes, toast, and almost everything else Harry could imagine. There was no way Harry could eat all of this! He even said so to Blinky.

"Why did you prepare all this food? It's only me here."

"Blinky's be not sure of what Little Master likes, so he's be making everything. Also, it be's apology for Blinky's mistake at bath time."

Harry flinched, but shook away the memory and dug into the food almost as soon as he sat down. Cooking for the Dursleys all those years meant Harry recognized all the food, but had never had the chance to taste. If they deemed him allowed to have breakfast, it was always toast, or the burnt bits that had stuck to the pan.

At the first bite of waffles, Harry moaned. They were just the right fluffiness, and the taste was sweeter than anything he could ever have imagined. Now, Harry's stomach wasn't used to a lot of food, and he knew this, but all of the food looked so good. To remedy this, Harry took just one bite of almost everything, sometimes two if it was extra good, and pointed out his favorites to Blinky. They ended up being the waffles he had, covered in fresh strawberries and soy whipped cream. He was also partial to the crepes he had noticed sitting on the very edge of the table. Curiously, Harry noticed there was no meat product sitting anywhere on the table.

It was as he was finishing that Stripe slithered in, with a large bulge in his body, looking ridiculously satisfied.

 _"Oh, there you are, Stripe. I was wondering where you had gotten to. Blinky said you were in the garden, but…"_

 _"There isss no need to worry, hatchling, I wasss exactly where the houssse elf sssaid I would be. There wasss thisss particularly feisssty rat, though, well…you can sssay I won the argument."_

Harry looked mildly disturbed, so Stripe moved the conversation along.

" _Well, if you are done, we really ssshould be going now, there are lotsss of thingsss we need to get done in Diagon Alley. Tell your elf to take usss to the floo ssso we may be on our way."_

With that last statement, Stripe lazily slithered up to Harry's shoulders and draped around his neck like a scarf. Harry called Blinky over and asked him to get his cloak so they could leave.

As soon as it was slung around his shouders, and his wings laid flat, Blinky popped them to the Receiving Room. A handful of powder later, Harry was stepping into the flickering green flames, dreading the travel, but excited about the day to come.


	6. Harry Gets Prepared

**Okay, so I feel like the lateness of this chapter needs an explanation. So, this past holiday, I had gotten into a car accident, and until a few weeks ago, I was in a coma. So, please don't fault me for the late chapter. This was almost done when I got injured, so now all I had to do was finish up a few paragraphs, spell-check, and get it posted. However, in order to get it out, I had to re-familiarize myself with my story, and put my plot back together in my head. So, anyways, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!**

Harry was expelled out of the fireplace and landed in a heap, the world still spinning around him. Draped around his neck, Stripe was swaying and hissing angrily, cursing any human that had anything to do with the creation of floo travel. Eventually, Harry could stand up and brush the dirt off of his cloak, doing his best to ignore the fading colors in his peripheral vision that were slowly fading.

When he looked around, Harry had discovered that he was inside the Leaky Cauldron, the patrons milling about and ignoring his exit from the fireplace as if it was an everyday occurance.

Shaking away thoughts of purposefully-sabotaged Wizarding travel, Harry made sure his cloak had not shifted and exposed his wings before making his way to Diagon Alley. This time, though, the entrance didn't impact him nearly as much as it had the day before, having seen it before.

Harry purposely made his way to the bank, figuring that that was the best place to start. Sure, Harry had an idea of where to start, but the goblins could probably narrow down his list. Speaking of which, Harry pulled out his notebook from within the book bag he had brought with him and a pencil. He turned to an empty page, and began writing a list while he walked.

 **Things I Need Before Leaving The Wizarding World:**

 _ **Clothes**_

 **Non-magical**

 **\- Shirts**

 **\- Pants**

 **Magical**

 **\- Everyday robes**

 **\- Formal robes**

 **\- Wizengamot robes**

 **Battle (for Hunter exam? Armor?)**

 **\- Hair ties  
**

 _ **Books**_

 **Spells**

 **\- All seven years**

 **Potions**

 **\- Recipes**

 **\- Preparation**

 **Wizarding traditions**

 **\- Marriage**

 **\- Social niceties/respect**

 **\- Holidays**

 **\- Money Management**

 **Learning to fight**

 **\- Hand-to-hand martial arts**

 **\- Weapon management**

 **Wizengamot**

 **\- Rules**

 **\- Courtroom procedures**

 **\- Past rulings**

 _ **Traveling Bag (expanding space, like wardrobe?)**_

 _ **Weapons (ask goblins since they are a warrior race)**_

 _ **Equipment**_

 **\- Wand**

 **\- Potion supplies**

 _ **Familiar**_

 _ **Hunters**_

 **\- Book about Hunter privileges**

 **\- Location of next exam**

 _ **Map of the World**_

Harry felt that this list was a good place to start, but he knew that he would be adding more things later on this day. There was simply too much he didn't know, even considering the stories he was told by Stripe. Not to mention that he didn't know really anything about Hunters. All he knew were the things told to him by the Dursleys. He had almost three whole pages in his notebook of questions about Hunters, and maybe this opportunity would allow him to answer some of those questions.

Harry reached the bank just as he was finishing up writing in his notebook. Like yesterday, Grushulk and Thornburg were standing at the entrance, watching for any misconduct. When they noticed him approaching, Thornburg nodded his head and Grushulk sent him a smile. Harry smiled back, mentioned that he hadn't forgotten their promise, and entered the bank.

The lines were much longer today than they had been yesterday, so Harry had to wait for a while for his turn. Eventually, though, he made it up to Griphook's desk. Remembering Harry from the day before, and following the strict orders of Ragnok, Griphook pulled him aside and told him to wait like yesterday for an escort to Ragnok's office.

Everything was the same yet again, with Harry chttering away to a bemused Shrubbik, and again entered the ornate office Ragnok had claimed as his own. When Ragnok looked up, a faint smile could be seen on his lips. However, it didn't last long, for he jumped right into business.

"Alright, now that you're here, let's just jump into things, shall we? We covered a large amount of information yesterday, and pretty much brushed over everything, but some things need to be gone over with a fine-toothed comb. As a Lord, you manage a variety of properties and hold many stocks under your belt."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. "I know there are a lot of properties I own, we already talked about that. But I haven't heard anything about stocks."

Ragnok looked confused briefly, but then a look of understanding dawned on his face. "I see, so there is something we missed yesterday. My apologies…"

He cleared his throat a bit. "Well, now is a good time as any, and you need to know about these things. You control controlling shares in a variety of different companies. Here, I have a complete list already drawn up, among other things."

He handed a rolled piece of parchment from within his desk to Harry. "You can go over the list later, if we have any time left. What we need to do now, is teach you how to manage your holdings. Honestly, since you will be away from the Wizarding World, you should have a contracted barrister manage them in your stead. I hope you won't mind me taking the initiative, but I have already drawn up a contract that you can use to protect your interest. Still, though, you should learn how to manage them so that you may take up their duties when you come back."

This time, Ragnok pushed a rather thick book across the desk to Harry. It was titled _Stocks and Bonds: The Guide to Managing Your Investments_ by Davin Wildhaven _._

Harry was quite an unusual child, for instead of being attracted to colorful picture books for children his age, he preferred the more adult tomes that gave information instead. So, when the book was pushed to him, his eyes started to sparkle as he stared at the book with a hungry look in his eyes. Ragnok, who felt a little unnerved at Harry's… _eagerness_ …decided to move on. Quickly.

"Ah, read that in your spare time and it should teach you all you will ever need to know about investing. The contract I mentioned is tucked inside a pocket attached to the front cover. I have also placed the floo address of the Potter Family Barrister your parents consulted. Next on your list is the Wizengamot information. I have procured tomes of past rulings inside for your perusal."

Two books slid across the table to Harry, the first titled _Olde Rules of Wizard Kind_. It looked very old, and was bound in cracked, used leather with yellowed pages. The second looked much more modern, and it was titled _Wizengamot Rulings from the Old World to the Present._

Harry picked up the first one gingerly. It looked ancient, and it was probably very expensive. The leather thrummed between his fingers, brushing against him in a warm, comforting way. Immediately, Harry recognized it as the same comforting warmth he felt from Mother Magic when receiving his diadem. He looked up at Ragnok questioningly, and Ragnok answered the question before it could leave Harry's lips.

"Yes, that book is very old and very precious. Some politicians would sell their firstborns just to look at it. Inside are all the old rules, from ages that have long since been abandoned. However, the rules in that book are all absolute, meaning they are backed by Magic Herself, as you have most likely felt. Anything written in that book is a law so binding that no person can escape its ruling."

Harry felt humbled just holding the book in his hands; he couldn't imagine why such a priceless treasure was given to him.

Ragnok continued his speech, taking advantage of Harry's awed silence. "The reason that book is in your possession right now is because of your status as the Vejunast Heir. As I mentioned yesterday, you will be a representative for magical beings to the Wizards, and as such, the book is your birthright. Your duty is to uphold the laws and keep the balance between the species. That book is your tool. If it is taken or you lose it, it will find you, and even though it looks fragile, it can never be destroyed, as Mother Magic protects it with all Her being."

Harry wanted to open the book so badly, but held back, as there was still lots more to do. Speaing of which… "What about the other book? Why do I need the new laws if I have all of the old, binding ones."

Here, Ragnok gained a grim expression. "The Wizarding World has gone so long without an heir that the rules have gone out of balance. Magical creatures and beings are heavily prejudiced against in our society, at least in Great Britain. Other countries are not nearly as bad, but you can still find prejudice in dark corners everywhere. That book is for you to learn how much our laws have messed up the balance and to give you an idea on what to fix."

The mood seemed to darken in the office as Harry mused on what Ragnok had said. To think, the world was so messed up that it needed permanent, binding laws to get it on track, taking the place of the natural companionship that was supposed to exist.

Ragnok continued with their meeting, wanting to keep everything moving, as there was still a lot to do today. "With those words in mind, you also need to know that even though you are technically a Lord, because you are just an underage Heir, you cannot put forth those laws in a Wizengamot meeting yet. You are also an unknown. To start putting forth the laws, you will need to both reach mating age and be acknowledged by the High Fae Court publicly as the Heir. Until then, study those books and wait until you reach an age where you can help."

Just then, a bell sounded through the air, and Ragnok paused the conversation.

"I had a goblin ready to bring up a snack for us both. With how much we need to go over, we both will need the sustenance."

The door was unsealed so a goblin could walk in. Harry had thought ahead of time and stowed the ancient book inside his bag, making sure that word about his status wouldn't spread yet.

The goblin quickly laid a large tray of various meats, cheeses, fruits, and veggies down on the desk and left the room, the door sealing shut behind him.

Ragnok dug in with Harry following shortly behind. Unlike Ragnok, who favored the meat with small doses of cheese, Harry wholeheartedly dug into the fruits and vegetables with gusto. Even the thought of consuming any meat or dairy made him nautious.

 _Wait a minute_ …Harry froze. Thinking about his last few meals, Harry realized that he had not been eating any meat at all. To prove his suspicion, Harry asked Ragnok if he knew anything about it.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out beforehand," Ragnok explained. "All High Fae never eat any kind of meat or dairy. Their bodies can't tolerate eating any part of an animal to the point where they will get extremely ill when eating it. My guess is that the reason you never got sick before your inheritance was because of the Earth Fae in you, who are omnivorous. After the inheritance, you must have gained the eating habits of your High Fae ancestry. Eating it will probably make you sick now, but most likely not as much as if you didn't have those Earth Sprite genes."

The rest of the break time was filled with a comfortable silence as each being ate their respective food groups. When the time came to get back to work, the goblin from before rushed in and fetched the platter, the door sealing, yet again, behind him.

"Now," said the goblin, "we must talk about what you need to do to become a Hunter. The exams are always exceedingly difficult, so I would recommend using all the time you have left until the next one to work yourself to the bone. Unfortunately for you, the last exam ended ten months ago. That gives you less than two months to practice your spellcasting and creature magics."

Harry was disheartened at first, but then realized that due to his new strength, powers, and wings, he already had a leg up among everyone else. Plus, without the Dursleys hindering him, he didn't need to worry about being forced to act stupider than Dudley, or have his learning be stifled. This was his opportunity to soar and learn all he could without anyone holding him back.

Ragnok continued. "This is the date of the next Hunter exam. I don't know the exact location, as it changes every year, but I have a contact who was able to get you a ride to it. It's all in this folder that you can view later.

"Just pick up those books I wrote down on that list and you should be fine. If you see anything else in the store, feel free to pick it up. You never know when you will be able to come back. And lastly, be careful."

Harry was about to thank him, but then remembered something. "Hey, do you think you could find me a weapon that works for me? I know goblins are a warrior race, so I figured you would be the best person to ask."

Ragnok smiled a nasty grin at that, and seemed to get excited. "Oh, child, I thought you'd never ask. We are the very best when it comes to forging, both structurally and magically. In your case, however, I have something just a little more to your tastes."

Ragnok got up from behind his desk and hopped off the grand chair. He was a little bigger than most goblins, most likely due to his strength, but overall, he was still smaller than a human. Harry had gotten so used to thinking of Ragnok as a hardened, battle-scarred goblin that the size he really was didn't even register.

Unsealing the door for the third time, Ragnok beckoned Harry to follow him. They walked to the beginning of the hallway, where the gate to the rest of the bank was. However, what Harry had failed to notice before was that there was an alcove on the opposite side that had a set of tracks leading into it. Sitting innocently on the tracks was a large wooden cart big enough for six fully-grown men.

Ragnok jumped inside with more grace than Harry had expected, and looked at Harry. Realizing Ragnok was waiting for him, Harry jumped inside too, his wings giving him a little extra propulsion to get over the tall wooden side. There were two benches inside facing one another, and the two each sat on opposite sides.

As soon as Harry was seated properly, the cart jumped into action and propelled itself at ridiculous speeds through the opening in the alcove and into the dark depths of Gringotts.

Due to Harry's predisposition to the wind gained from his flight abilities, he could look around and observe his surroundings without distraction. There were rows of large, metal doors lining both sides of the tracks, and each was numbered from highest to lowest the farther in they traveled. However, Harry noticed that the deeper they went, the larger the doors grew, and the stronger they looked. He even noticed that magical creatures like dragons and gryphons started guarding some of them.

They must have rode on in silence for a good half an hour before the cart noticeably slowed down and then ground to a halt.

A few feet in front of them, the tracks ended at what appeared to be a large, ornate metal door. It was nearly fifty feet tall, and made of a whitish, shimmering metal substance that Harry had never seen before. It was decorated like Harry's diadem, but much more grand, with larger stones in even more elaborate patterns. This door, unlike the others that they had passed, had no number.

With a start, Harry realized what this door was for. Seeing his dawning understanding, Ragnok started to speak.

"Yes, this door is the very first vault that has ever existed, and also the most important. It is the one that exists only for the High Fae Rulers, to be specific, those who represent magical creatures and beings for Her Magic, Herself. As the heir, you are allowed to take from this vault. However, since you are as of yet unrecognized, no monetary assets are allowed to be removed. Luckily for us, you don't need it, as you have your other vaults you can pick through for money. We are here specifically for weapons and armor."

Ragnok and Harry approached the door with reverence, slowly walking to appreciate the splendor as it was such a rare sight for the goblin, and Harry's very first glimpse of true beauty. As Harry got closer, he felt this impulse deep inside of him urge him to touch it. Reaching out with a trembling hand, his fingertips gently brushed the metal, and a warm, tingling sensation shot up his arm and to his diadem.

His palm flattened on the shimmery surface, and a white light erupted between skin nd metal. The diadem's gems glowed, then quickly died out.

Suddenly, a white light bisected the door vertically, and it slowly split down the center before opening inwards. The light blinded Harry for a few moments, but as soon as the spots in his vision faded away, Harry was able to gaze upon the treasures concealed inside.

What first caught Harry's attention was the sheer size of the room. The ceiling must have been hundreds of feet above his head, and He couldn't even see the farthest wall from where he stood. What caught his eye next, was the fact that grass was under his feet.

Yes, the inside of the vault was a meadow, with slight hills filled with lush grass and vibrant flowers from all over the world. There were trees in the distance, and Harry cold just barely see the heavy, ripe apples weighing down their branches.

Butterflies could be seen flitting amongst the flower meadows, and all were of various colors, some even a shimmering metallic color that distinguished them as a magical species. Way above his head, Harry could see a clear, blue sky and sun, as if they were really outside and not in a cave deep underground. AS if to validate that thought, a slight breeze blew warm, summer air through his hair, tugging it gently.

Filled with wonder, Harry turned to Ragnok to ask some of the many questions on his mind.

"How is it…I mean, how can we…wait, where are the…?"

Harry couldn't seem to get a single sentence out of his mouth due to the mess of emotions running about his head.

Understanding his plight, Ragnok took over and helped him out. "As you have no doubt realized, this vault doesn't seem to contain anything at all, and no doubt defies any logic you could ever put into place. That is because this vault is the only one where Magic Herself will visit. As a result, this place is in a dimensional pocket that is practically all magic, and no natural occurrences. It shows the current emotions Mother Magic is feeling by expressing it into the landscape. Right now, she is happy and excited because you have been found. However, if she were in a terrible mood, the land would most likely look like a wasteland with stormy skies."

They just stopped to soak in the feeling the vault was giving them, basking in the harmonious feelings that coursed through their veins.

An undetermined amount of time later, Harry turned to Ragnok yet again to ask another set of questions. "We came to this vault to retrieve weapons and armor, right? So where are they? Not that I want to leave or anything, but I can't see any of either of those things anywhere."

As if that was the cue, the magic in the air swirled and the meadow faded away into a gray mist. It thickened until Harry couldn't see his own feet, then started thinning and clearing away. Once all of the mist had faded, Harry was able to see that his and Ragnok's surroundings had changed. They were now in a large, grand dressing room, with golden walls decorated with scenes of what must have been Fae fighting ancient battles.

Beautiful pieces of furniture scattered the room, but what caught Harry's attention was the elaborate wardrobe set against the wall. It was made of a shimmering white wood, and engraved with golden images of magical creatures.

"Magic can hear your every word while you are inside this room," said Ragnok. "She bends the space around you to make access to different parts easier. You wished for the armor and weapons, so she made it possible for you to get to them."

Harry accepted the information as easily as it came. He was beginning to understand just how far-reaching the entity Herself could be.

With that, Harry walked towards the Wardrobe to look inside. However, he was not prepared for the sight that met his eyes when those doors had pulled open.

Inside was a beautiful set of shimmering white armor. It appeared to be made of the same precious metal that had made up the vault doors. However, Harry was intrigued to see that the armor didn't look like what he believed traditional armor was supposed to look like. The metal was forged in the shape of a corset, where it latched on the lower back by white leather ties to make room for wings and appeared as if it molded his frame as if it had been forged around him. There were two metal shoulder guards, and a pair of shimmering gauntlets. Draping out from under the torso piece was what appeared to be an armored skirt. It had three major pieces: one in the front and one on each side of the body. They were layered, each section being made by layering rectangular pieces of metal, so that it would be flexible. The bottom pieces were rounded, and only came down to mid-thigh. Lastly, was a pair of armored boots. Like the rest of the armor, they had an inner layer of white leather for protection, but the outside was made from plates of metal. It wrapped around the calf and thigh, with a knee guard on top. The foot was also wrapped, but the toe came to a blunted point on the end. The entire set was decorated with swirling silver inlays, and gemstones that matched his diadem were tastefully imbedded into it.

Resting on the bottom of the wardrobe, held up by a decorative stand, were two matching fans made to compliment the armor. They were made from the same metal, and shimmered when the light reflected off of them. Harry even noticed that the edges were razor sharp, proving that they weren't just for decoration, but an actual battle.

Harry was amazed at the set, and turned to Ragnok with questions on his lips.

"This is battle armor for the Heir of the Vejunast line. It is forged from a magical titanium, and the most protective item in existence. Because it has been so long since it has been worn, the true level of protection is unknown.

"As for your battle fans, well, it appears as if Mother Magic knows you well. Even at such a young age, your body is showing that you will be a quick and flexible fighter, very feminine, if I might add."

At that, Harry grumbled a bit, starting to realize that trying to preserve any masculinity was going to be a difficult battle.

"The armor, as well as the fans, are both special in the fact that they grow with the wearer. That is why magical titanium armor is so priceless, and so desirable. I would suggest taking it with you, and keeping it close at hand. With your new status, I doubt you will be left alone by those with nefarious intentions. When you touch the armor and fans, they will bond with your magical signature and can be summoned onto your person at will, as long as they are both nearby."

Harry reached out a hand and gently brushed his fingers across the metal torso, and felt his magic flare up. The armor in front of him glowed softly, then shrank to match his size. He repeated the motion with the fans, and they followed suit in short order.

Ragnok provided him with a magical satchel that appeared from thin air and told Harry to imagine his new armor and weapons inside. As soon as he did so, they disappeared from the wardrobe and, presumably, appeared inside the satchel. The goblin told him that the satchel had an expanded space inside, and could store things much larger than the bag would otherwise show. Harry didn't argue and just went along with it, making a note in his special notebook to look up the process later. With that, both decided that they had done what they needed to, and decided to leave the vault and finish up their meeting inside Ragnok's office. As Harry left the vault, he looked back in sadness, but vowed to come back and explore sometime.

The rest of the meeting was relatively uninformative. Harry was given a list of books he should purchase before leaving the Wizarding World, and he made sure to tuck it into his notebook with the list he had made earlier today. In order to pay for everything, Ragnok handed him another bag. He said that this one was tied to his vaults, and that to withdraw money, all Harry needed to do was stick his hand inside, think of the vault he wanted to draw from, then think of the currency he needed. Apparently, the money would appear in his hand. Ragnok also mentioned that the bag was keyed to him, and could not be taken from his person, nor could anyone that wasn't him draw money from it. Lastly, Harry was handed a debit card for the muggle world that had the same rules as the bag, in order to not draw suspicion when making large purchases.

On that last note, Harry said goodbye to Ragnok, then gave him a hug for good measure. Ragnok seemed suprided at the contact, but gently returned the hug anyways, already fond of the small child. Harry then left the bank, being sure to say goodbye to all of the goblins he had already met, and ran out into Diagon Alley, eager to start his shopping spree.


	7. Harry Goes Shopping

**Hey, it's been a while since I've posted anything. Now, I know a few people are a bit upset with me, I do have a reason why this hasn't come out sooner.**

 **As most of you know, the last time I posted had been after I had gotten out of a coma. With that chapter, I only had to finish up a paragraph or two. With this one, I had to continue the story with nothing to work off of other than my old notes. However, after getting out of the coma, I had realized that I lost most of the original plot I had laying around inside my head. Sure, I had written notes, but there were so many ideas and twists that I had planned that I just didn't know how I was going to string them together. Because, honestly, there is way too much going on in this story.**

 **I wanted a royal Harry, and a creature Harry, and a harem, and a yaoi, and super powerful, and…do you get where I'm going with this? Too much to figure out where everything goes. So, I had to come up with a whole new plot that somehow fits everything I had planned.**

 **Well, I think I managed it. Although, if this story ever gets finished, it will most likely be ridiculously epic in length.**

 **Anyways, don't expect regular updates, or even relatively quick ones. I have a lot going on, between school, work, family problems, etc…so, the next chapter could be a while. All I can ask is that you enjoy what I have to offer, and give me some criticism so I can try and fix any mistakes that I may have.**

 **So, without further ado, please enjoy the story!**

The very first thing Harry did after leaving the bank was to check his list and see what things he could mark off. Honestly, the only things he could mark off his list was the armor and weapons, the book on Wizengamut rulings, the date of the next Hunter exam, and a traveling bag with an expanded space on the inside of it. What he did have, that wasn't written down on the list, was the money bag and debit card for easy access to his vaults. They would make it much easier to withdraw money without having to come back to Diagon Alley.

Looking at his list, Harry decided that the best place to start would be a bookshop because the majority of the items he needed were books. Information was power, after all, and currently, Harry was so far behind where he needed to be that books seemed to be the most important. Not to mention, they took up the majority of his list.

So, Harry went into the nearest bookshop which so happened to be named Flourish and Blotts. It was a cheery place, with a brightly-colored storefront and plenty of witches and wizards hurrying in and out the doors. As soon as he walked in, Harry rushed over to the nearest bookshelf and eagerly began to read through the titles.

He saw such things like _Maintaining Your Wand: A Wizard's Guide to Wand Care_ and _A Wizarding Encyclopedia for the Muggle in You._

That last one seemed kind of offensive to Harry, but he figured that it was probably written by a pureblood wizard, and passed it by. Soon enough, Harry realized that all of the books were not organized in any particular order, and prepared himself for a long stay in the store.

Sure enough, it wasn't until hours had passed that Harry managed to exit the bookstore, his satchel filled with tomes of all sorts of subjects. Luckily, Harry had been able to find all of the books he had been looking for, so they were crossed off his list.

Re-reading his list, Harry realized that he should have prioritized his shopping and decided that the next thing he should purchase should be wizard robes. They needed to be tailored to him, so it would obviously take more time for them to be stitched together once the seamstress had gotten his measurements. There didn't appear to be a non-wizarding clothing store on the Alley, so he would have to go into London in order to purchase them.

His next task decided, Harry walked into a store named Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Inside, to put it plainly, was a madhouse. Witches were bustling back and forth through the store while bolts of fabric and strips of measuring tape whizzed around. Before Harry could fully get his bearings, a harried-looking witch dressed similarly to a few others in the store approached him with a quill poised over a bit of parchment.

"Hi, my name is Christine. Welcome to our store. Can I help you with anything?"

Harry nodded and replied, "Yes, I need to pick up a full wizarding set of robes, with these crests embroidered on them, as well as a set of Wizengamut robes." He flashed her his badge and his rings.

Christine's eyes widened, the quill in her hand shaking, and she started to hyperventilate. Harry was honestly concerned for her health, and just when he was about to ask what was wrong, she suddenly screamed.

"MADAM MALKIN! We have a code red! I repeat, we have a CODE RED!"

All of a sudden, movement in the shop froze to a complete halt. The floating measuring tapes and bolts of fabric were suspended in mid-air, the witches working too distracted to direst them. Even the shoppers froze to a standstill while the other store helpers turned to look at him in unison. Their eyes gained a glint that sent shivers down Harry's spine, and in the back of the store, a red curtain parted as a witch hurried through.

She was maybe sixty years old, with short, graying hair and horn-rimmed glasses. She was short, and a bit chubby, but definitely not overweight. She approached Harry and Christine, pursed her red painted lips, and spoke.

"Okay Christine, what's the situation?"

"This girl is a code red! Not only does she need a full wardrobe, but Wizengamut robes as well, and look! She has multiple crests!" Christine spoke rapidly, trying her best to state everything as clearly and quickly as possible.

Apparently, the situation was desperate enough for Malkin's face to become even more pinched, and she spoke once more.

"I see…very well then, I'll see to this one…personally. Alright everyone, get back to work! The situation is under control."

After Malkin finished speaking, the pace in the shop picked back up again. Harry, confused as to why clothing was such a big deal, just went along with it and followed Malkin back through the curtain she had come through.

The curtains magically sealed up behind him as soon as he finished stepping through, but Harry was too busy admiring his surroundings to pay much attention. The room was circular and draped in beautiful fabrics, some of them shimmering due to the amount of magic inside of them. A round stool stood in the middle of the room, more fabric draping over it. Harry was encouraged to stand on the stool and remove most of his clothing so that Madam Malkin could get accurate measurements.

Harry then realized the predicament. This woman probably thought he was a girl, and even more worrisome, Harry had features that would probably alarm her. So, he sucked in a breath, and spoke out the problem.

"Well, Madam, there's a few problems I think you should be aware of."

"Surely it can't be too bad, child. What is the matter?"

"Well, for one, I'm a boy, not a girl," Harry spit out nervously.

"Oh…I see. Why, child, are you dressed as a girl? Not that I'm complaining, you really suit that dress."

And so, Harry spilled most of his story to the woman, Stripe curling around his shoulders comfortingly. He left out the parts about his creature inheritance, but explained about how he came from an abusive family and only just realized his position in magical society. Madam Malkin looked at him in sorrow, sniffling a little bit, as she took in his story. By the end of it, she was dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.

"You poor, poor dear. Yes, I can see where you're coming from. Those muggles are just horrible wastes of space! Good on you, child, for escaping while you could. However, one so young shouldn't have to face such things. Sometimes, I wonder about the world we live in," she left off bitterly.

"Anyways, your gender shouldn't be any reason for you to be reluctant to shed your garments, is there something else I should be aware of?"

Harry winced. Malkin had hit the nail right on the head. She noticed his wince, then moved in to comfort him.

"Oh honey, I assure you, I'm a professional. Whatever it is, I'm sure it can't be too bad."

Sucking in his nerves for the second time, Harry explained the second, bigger problem to her.

"Madam, I'm afraid, it is a big problem. You see, I'm not exactly human."

She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Well, you can't be a werewolf, because the full moon wasn't that long ago and you would be looking much more haggard. It can't be a vampire either, as its daylight, and your hair is dark, so you can't be a veela. Why, child, what are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

Harry was relieved that she didn't seem prejudiced against creatures, and hurried on to explain.

"I am a hybrid between a High Fae and an Earth Sprite. The inheritance gave me some…inhuman features."

"A High Fae and an Earth Sprite," she mused. "Well, I can't say that I've heard of Sprites before, but the High Fae sounds familiar…"

That's when Harry lowered his hood and Madam Malkin got a good look at his face. Other than the overly large eyes set in a beautiful, feminine face, the thing that caught her attention was the diadem resting on his head.

"You…you…High Fae…royalty…" Malkin seemed to sway a little on the spot, her face paling.

You see, every witch and wizard knew of the creature ruling body. Although they hadn't been a major player in politics for several years, stories of them were passed down among family members. Stories of beautiful beings with wings that would sweep in briefly, only to disappear just as quick.

Speaking of wings, Madam Malkin steadied herself and glanced at his cloak that was still fastened around his shoulders.

"Your cloak…?" she whispered.

Encouraged by the fact that Malkin had yet to show any negative responses, even if she was looking a little pale, Harry undid the clasp around his throat and let the wings spring free as it fluttered to the ground. Malkin gasped, her hands shakily covering her mouth in surprise.

Soon, however, Malkin got her bearings and swept into a deep curtsy, bowing her head low.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for my rudeness! I just…I got caught up with…please forgive me."

Harry lightly touched her arms and encouraged her to stand up.

"No, no, it's okay. Really, please don't do that. You didn't know, and to be honest, even I'm still not used to it yet."

That's when Madam Malkin realized that the boy standing in front of her wasn't just a baby monarch, but an abused child as well who had just taken his first baby steps into a culture he knew nothing about. So, stiffening her spine, Malkin allowed herself to straighten.

"Again, I apologize, but you must understand. I can't just ignore your standing, as you are literally a major player in the political fields now. However, what has me curious is why you have not been announced yet? The current Fae monarchs would have surely been excited to present a new Heir, as it has been a long time since one has stepped up."

"Well, you see," started Harry nervously. "I haven't announced myself just yet to them. I mean, the goblins know now, but I'm going to wait a week to let them know that I exist."

Harry then went on to explain his reasoning to Malkin, who was listening carefully. Afterwards, she nodded grudgingly.

"Yes, I can see your point. However," at this, she gave him a stern glance. "You will not go around hiding yourself like a fugitive after the announcement has been released. They will not be able to get to you, and you should not be afraid to show the world who you really are."

Harry agreed, and then the two of them went down to business.

Malkin said, "Well, we've wasted enough time chatting, let's start on your robes. Please take off your dress."

Harry slid off his dress and tights, but then blushed in embarrassment. He forgot that he was still wearing girl's panties. For the record, Malkin didn't say anything about them, but based on the small upturn of her lips, he assumed she was amused.

The measuring tape got to work, winding around different parts of his body while Madam Malkin stood off to the side to take notes. After a few minutes, the tape measure rolled itself up, and Malkin started speaking again.

"Now that we have your measurements, we can get started on the robes for you. First off, I was wondering what kind of robes you would like to wear. More specifically, would you like male or female robes?"

Harry's immediate response was to say male, but he paused for a second and thought about it. Everyone who might come looking for him would be expecting to find a decidedly _male_ Harry, not a female. Not only that, but girls were always underestimated. Harry really wanted to wear male clothes, but he knew that it was probably better that he wear female clothes instead. And besides, they made pants and whatnot for girls, too. So that meant he didn't have to go around in dresses. Although, he had gotten used to wearing them recently, and girl panties were really comfortable…

"Female, I think. It will make it harder for people to find me, and girls are always underestimated in a fight."

Malkin smirked at that, and made a note on her parchment.

"Alright, I can do that. Now, what fabrics would you like? I have some plain cotton robes that I sell to most people, but I have a feeling you'll lean more towards my selection of more expensive fabrics like Acromentula silk."

She waved her wand, and several bolts of fabric flowed from cabinets scattered across the room. Malkin arranged them in a circle around Harry and had him touch each one of them. Most, Harry immediately rejected. Like Malkin predicted, Harry did take a liking to Acromantula silk and ordered all of his robes in that fabric.

"Now, we need to decide what color to use on your robes. I think greens would be the best choice, although some chocolates and maybe a few blacks would look good as well. You should also get a silver or two…"

Harry just let Madam Malkin do the color choices, and they ended up deciding on three green robes, three in black, two silver, one brown, and another two in teal, to match his wings.

"Alright, now we need to decide on the cut of your robes. We could do a traditional wizard's cut, but I think that with your body type and your inheritance, we should go with a robe that is closer to the traditional cut for your species."

Harry had no idea what that would look like, so Malkin swished her wand and summoned a picture of a robe her shop had sewed years back. The upper half was a corset, and strapless as well. At the waist, the robe flowed out in horizontal layers with slits up the sides of the legs to the waist for movement. The layers were in pieces, the ends shaped like leaves, and draped all the way to the floor. Separate to the robe were two sleeves that strapped around the bicep and gradually became wider until they resembled formal kimono sleeves. There were tassles attached to the bottom portion of both sleeves as well. A set of leggings were to be worn under the robe, as well as a pair of thigh high leather boots.

Honestly, with the corset and the layered bottom half, the robe reminded Harry of the set of armor that he took from his vault. Thinking hard, Harry chose that one, deciding to follow Malkin's earlier advice and be proud of what race he was.

Malkin smiled, complimented him on her choice, and made a note of it down on her parchment.

"Alright then, I'll get to work on those right away. Because of the fabric, the amount of clothing I need to make, and the number of customers we have, it will probably take me a few hours to get them stitched together. Why don't you finish your shopping then come back later this afternoon. I should be finished right before closing. You can then check my work for quality and pay me when you retrieve them."

Harry agreed and pulled his clothes back on, Stripe winding back on his shoulders as he had been resting on the pile of clothes while Harry was getting measured. Waving back to Madam Malkin, Harry left the shop and went on to buy the next few things on his list.

Late that afternoon, Harry could be seen walking back to Madam Malkin's shop to pick up his clothes. Everything else on the list had been bought and paid for, and all he had to do was pick up the robes she had promised him.

Walking inside, Harry noticed an immediate difference from earlier that afternoon. The store wasn't crowded at all, and only had one or two shoppers who were browsing around the pre-made off-the-rack robes for sale. One of the sales girls noticed him, and obviously remembering him from earlier, presumably went to fetch Malkin from her back room.

The woman walked out, obviously exhausted, but looking pleased with herself as several boxes floated in the air after her. As soon as she stopped in front of him, she swished her wand and robes started coming out of the boxes.

"Dear, it took me a while, and I almost didn't make it in time, but they are finished and I think you'll like the result."

Indeed, Harry was exceptionally pleased with her as all of the robes were absolutely gorgeous. Malkin even made it a point to style his red Wizengamut robe the same as his other robes, as if to mark him as different from everyone else who would be sitting in the courtrooms with him.

Thanking her again, Harry packed up the robes and left to make one last stop before the Alley closed down: Ollivander's.

Harry knew that although he was younger than the standard age to receive a wand, Ollivander would sell to him anyways because his magic had prematurely matured due to his early inheritance.

Walking inside, Harry felt an immediate pressure in the air. More magic than Harry had felt in his entire life was concentrated in this room. Suddenly, Harry felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped around to face whoever touched him.

It was an old man, presumably Ollivander, with sagging, wrinkly skin and white eyes set into a pale face. Harry would have thought the man was blind, but with the way his gaze had narrowed onto the boy, that conclusion was highly unlikely. After a minute of staring, Ollivander finally spoke.

"In all my years of wandmaking, I have only come across one of your station maybe once before, ant that person was not as young as you are, Mr. Potter."

Harry gulped nervously; Ollivander had a presence about him, one that spoke of knowledge that he was as of yet unaware of.

"I wasn't expecting to see you for another few years, but with this inheritance, well, it's best to start off as early as possible. I remember both of your parents' wands, but in your case, that won't help you here. A wand is a wizard's focus, and you need something that can handle a stronger, wilder magic. Even a staff, though strong enough to conduct your magic, won't be able to fully adapt to you. No, you need a natural focus; something living."

Harry hadn't yet dared to speak. He was so new to sensing magic that the atmosphere was overwhelming him. It felt like he was in a room with too little oxygen. All of a sudden though, Harry noticed that the magic in the room lowered dramatically, and it finally felt like he could breathe again. Sending a questioning look to Ollivander, the man continued speaking.

"There you go, boy. I almost forgot just how sensitive the Fae can be to magic, and I imagine that this room wasn't very comfortable. However, in order to properly attune a focus to you, I need to make sure your magic isn't acting out by trying to push away outside influences. I just put a temporary magic dampening bubble around you."

Harry nodded t show he understood, and the man took that as a sign to continue.

"Now. What was I saying earlier? Ah, yes, you need a living focus in order to properly direct your wild magic. Now, while normally you should have gotten a familiar to help regulate your magic, those have to appear before you naturally and cannot be bought. They must be attuned to you and not the average witch or wizard. So, instead of a beast, and considering the Earth Sprite magic I can feel inside you, we will go with a plant."

Ollivander then shuffled to the back of the store, only to return moments later with some sort of crystal ball.

"This will help pick out the natural strands of magic from your core and give me an idea of what will attune to you best. Just hold the ball in your hands, direct some magic into it, and it will turn a variety of colors based on what it senses from your core."

He then handed the ball to Harry who then held it in both hands before closing his eyes and directing some magic towards it. When he opened his eyes, he saw the clear glass turn a forest green, then a shimmering silver, a bright, glowing gold, a smoky purple, and finally, an electric yellow.

Ollivander took note of the colors, mumbling under his breath. He then walked back into the very back of the shop and returned with five wooden boxes, each no larger than a few inches on all sides.

"The colors are picky, and have given me a difficult challenge. The green shows an exceptional affinity for the earth and plants, entirely expected, but the type of green also alludes to a hidden ability with animals. The silver shows that you have a shy nature, but as it shimmers, it means that you are not shy out of fear, but shy with a desire to draw people to yourself and care for them, like a mother."

This caused Harry to blush, especially after he remembered the talk he had with the goblin director earlier about his ability to bear children.

"The gold shows nobility, but as it's glowing, shows that you are not stuck in traditions, but rather, one for the people. You will be a strong person who will stand up for those who have been wronged, and build up an empire from the ashes of what once existed. The purple stands for poison, but the smoky effect means that you are a poison to your enemies, willing to hunt in the shadows to find who has wronged you and bring them to justice. And lastly, the yellow shows that you are a sunny person, always willing to smile and infect everyone around you with happiness. Although, this goes in reverse too, as if you are sad, the others will follow you. The electric feel of the yellow means that you have a bit of a mischievous personality as well."

Harry was amazed, it seemed like the ball knew even more about him than he himself did! He never knew that he was noble, and still doubted it even now.

"Anyways, these five plants seem to be the most attuned to you, so why don't you come over and look at them."

Harry slowly approached the counter, where Ollivander had arranged the boxes in a neat row. The first one had a little tree inside sprouting from a small, brown sack that was tied to a cord. It looked like it was designed to carry around your neck. When he reached out to touch it, the little branches wrapped around his fingers and tugged on his magic. Harry felt a tiny sucking sensation, but the magic didn't seem to flow very smoothly.

"Ah, the Womping Willow tree. Truly a fierce, courageus tree. Although it's a fighter and a defender, it's not much of a mother, so probably not a good fit."

Harry then pried his hand from the tree and went for the next box. This one, like most of the others, was also in a little brown sack. However, it looked like a little bush instead with tiny purple berries. This one grabbed is fingers as well and sucked, but his magic didn't want to flow into it, so it retreated, wilting a little in disappointment.

"This is a magical Japanese Beautyberry Bush. It's definitely a mothering bush, but also a very poisonous plant. It seems as though this one isn't a fit either.

Harry tried the third and the fourth plants as well, but with no success. It wasn't until the fifth box that anything remarkable happened.

Unlike the others, this plant wasn't in a little sack. It appeared to be some sort of vine that twisted around itself and formed a circle wide enough to fit around his bicep. It had little roots wiggling around and stretching for him, as if to take root. There were tiny little star-shaped silver flowers blooming on it, and in the center of each was a little teal colored berry.

"Lastly, we have a rare magical Stella Vine, or star vine. It is known for being extremely friendly towards its owners, but deadly to any enemies. However, what makes this vine so special is that it produces Stella berries, which are an extremely rare curative that help with many different medical problems from cuts to diseases. However, the plant is extremely rare, as it became nearly extinct due to over use."

Harry reached his fingers towards the vine, and as soon as the tiny little roots took hold, he was lost. Never had his magic sung so sweetly in his veins, nor had he ever felt such comfort from any being since Stripe. He could literally feel the plant's presence in the back of his mind now, happily introducing its essence to Harry's core.

Ollivander smiled, happy to have obviously found a perfect match for the boy in front of him. What he hadn't mentioned to Harry was that there was another color in the ball before he had opened his eyes. That color was red, bloody red. It meant that a great destiny awaited Harry, but it would be a long one, filled with strife. The vine was known for choosing owners who were chosen by fate to become great in the future.

As he looked on, watching as Harry slid the vine to rest on his bicep, Ollivander only hoped that Harry would be able to survive what would come for him.


	8. Harry Gets in a Fight

**Hey, sorry for the delay, _again,_ but I did warn you that it might be a while before I posted my next chapter. Anyways, this is a little shorter than my previous chapters, but not by much. My general goal is to break the 3,000 word wall for every chapter. The previous chapters made it to over 4,000, but this one just barely broke the wall. Not from a lack of inspiration, but because I found a good place to end it. Well, enjoy, and like always, please comment and feel free to give any suggestions or criticisms that you see.**

When Harry left the wand shop, he was still somewhat in a state of shock from the feeling his new focus was giving him. It felt like it had been grown just to connect to his soul and core one day. However pleasant the tingling his insides were doing, or the feeling of the tiny roots curling on the skin of his arm, there was more yet he had to do before he could go home and look over his books.

It was currently around 7:50 P.M., and the shops were all closing for the day now that families were going home to put sleepy children to bed. Harry would have been part of that crowd, but Grushulk had promised him that they could meet and talk about Goblin culture after he had gotten off of work. With that in mind, Harry made his way over to Gringotts, his satchel slung over his shoulder holding all of his new things.

The walk took only a couple minutes to complete, and that meant that when Harry reached the bank, Grushulk was still on duty. Mindful of his work, Harry just sat neatly near the feet of the goblin on one of the bank's stone steps. He figured he would just wait for the goblin to finish up.

Meanwhile, Grushulk eyed the child on the steps with amusement, making parallels between this young girl and his own little girl back home. Of course, last-minute pedestrians gave the child weird looks, some in disgust, and Grushulk made sure to give nasty, threatening glares towards those few, sending them hurrying away.

The time flew by quickly, and soon the bank was being closed down for the day. Harry watched as his goblin friend said goodbye to his coworker, and said coworker went inside, presumably to go home via the bank tunnels. Grushulk then turned to face Harry.

"Well, come inside, we'll speak more once we get to where we need to be."

Harry was ushered inside, then Grushulk turned around to lock the door with a key that positively _reeked_ of curse magic. That feeling seemed to trickle into the door from the key, presumably to help ward the door against intruders. His thoughts about curse magic were broken, however, when Grushulk spoke again.

"I figured we could talk at my home deep under the bank, where the rest of us live. There, you can speak and act freely without worry that a human will persecute you. That, and my daughter seemed eager to meet you. She is about your age now."

Harry was excited; what better place to learn more about goblins than their home?

Grushulk spoke again. "Right now, there are no humans anywhere inside, and they can't get past the bank defenses no matter how hard they try. You can take off that cloak now, and not feel afraid of us. We are all magic kind, after all."

Of course, Harry was nervous. However, Grushulk knew he wasn't human from the very first time they had met, and the cloak he wore really was quite hot. Plus, honestly, he couldn't wait for the time where he wouldn't have to hide who he really was.

So with those thoughts in mind, Harry undid the clasps that held his cloak on his shoulders and pulled it off.

Grushulk choked on whatever he was going to say next as he got a full view of Harry's previous hidden features. The wings were obviously the most eye catching, the eyes the second, but then it was all blown away by the pretty gems resting between those startling green orbs.

Judging by the guarded look Harry was sporting, Grushulk could infer that the expected reaction was to start bowing, apologizing, or stuttering. So, he took the casual route to try and make the child more comfortable.

"You know, when I asked you to take off your cloak, I was expecting something unique, but not quite _that_ unique."

Harry was relieved that the goblin hadn't commented on the diadem, and thanked him for his compliment. They both then went to a side tunnel in the bank that was located behind a heavy door. There was another cart there, and Harry took joy in the fact that he got to ride the cart again. This time, when they took off, they didn't pass any vault doors or mythical guardian creatures. Instead, the entire trop was made of plain rock walls lit by sparsely scattered lanterns. That all changed when they came out into a gigantic cavern lit by tiny glowing gems imbedded in the walls.

There was a city inside, made of small huts constructed with natural materials like wood, stone, and straw thatched roofs. In one area was what appeared to be a huge marketplace with stalls bartering strange looking roots, meats, and fruits. Some also held things like armor and other metal things of value. There was also what appeared to be a dueling arena where goblins were going head-to-head with weapons of all types.

Goblins of all types were running around too. Males, females, and even children. Some were dressed in suits, obviously bank tellers, but most were dressed similarly to Grushulk, in armor, leathers, or some combination of the two.

The cart had come in high near the ceiling, so Harry had a good amount of time to look around as it circled its way down into the city. Of course, their entrance started out unnoticed, but as they got closer to the ground, some of the goblins noticed their arrival, and upon catching sight of Harry, began spreading the news around.

By the time the cart screeched to a stop behind several others, a sizeable crowd had gathered around to get their first look at what could only be the heir to the magical throne, based on the jewelry he had resting on his head. There was whispering, and as soon as Harry was assisted out of the cart, goblins began bowing in respect to him.

Harry, being the shy, caring person he is, rushed over to the nearest bowed figure and started trying to convince him to treat him normally, much to the poor goblin's bewildered confusion.

However, what truly convinced him, and the other goblins, to stand up was when a little child-goblin toddled over to Harry and clung onto his leg, much to her mother's horror. The baby goblin must have only been about a foot tall and was dressed in a little fur dress and boots. When it looked up at him with gigantic soulful eyes, Harry promptly squealed and scooped her up for a cuddle.

Apparently, the image of two adorable children cuddling together was too much for the female goblins in the crowd to bear, and they swarmed the two of them like mother hens are apt to do.

That broke the ice, and the men dropped the bowing and acted normally, even if chuckles were exchanged at the behavior.

When Harry finally escaped, after handing the baby goblin to her mother, he quickly hid behind Grushulk who had been watching the whole ordeal with amusement. Harry was ushered away, presumably to Grushulk's home, and left behind the snickering of the other goblins who felt some amount of humor at his torture.

The humiliation was soon forgotten and replaced with amazement as the two of them walked down a street made of earth. There were huts on both sides, with an assortment of goblins everywhere. Harry received some strange looks, some reverent, but he was too excited to pay much attention for once. The entire trip there Grushulk was explaining the intricacies of goblin culture to the boy, using the things they saw on the way as physical examples in the explanation.

Soon, the two arrived at a hut, similar to the others, that had two young female goblins play-fighting in the clearing behind the house. Grushulk called out to the girls, and they immediately paused their battle to turn and look at the two approaching figures. At the sight of Grushulk, one of them jumped into action and rushed him, tackling the goblin and attempting to wrangle him to the ground. However, Grushulk was no pushover, and with startling ease, threw the girl onto the earth and had her pinned within seconds.

"Awe, come on! I thought for sure that I had you that time," said the girl from the ground. Grushulk just chuckled and responded, "Nice try, but your fighting is getting sloppy and your reaction time was slow. Not to mention, I am much stronger than you, and have many more years of experience under my belt, young Earthworm."

The girl pouted, and by this time, the other goblin girl had caught up and was now eying Harry from the corner of her eye. The first girl seemed to finally notice that Grushulk had brought a guest with him, and turned to face Harry.

Of course, the curiosity in her eyes was replaced by reverence once the little girl noticed the diadem on Harry's head, and she proceeded to gawp unashamedly at him. Harry shuffled uneasily in her presence, and the awkward atmosphere may have continued had Grushulk not broken up the tension.

"Now, now, little ones. My guest is simply that, a guest. And I would hope that you would treat him as you would any of our guests, despite his status."

The girls both approached him, and circled him slowly, eyeing up his form. Harry did his best to appear indifferent to their perusal, but inside, he was nervous. Finally, the girl from before spoke.

"He doesn't have much muscle on him, does he? He'll need to fix that if he ever hopes to become a true warrior like me." The girl puffed up her chest in pride.

The second girl, the one who had yet to speak, finally commented. "My father mentioned that he had recently evaluated the newfound prince and had elevated him in status. Had I realized that I would be meeting him today, I would have dressed more appropriately."

The first girl spun around to face her friend and said, "Wait, you knew he existed and didn't mention him to me? How cruel, Thornberry!"

Thornberry's eyes narrowed in mock anger, "Well, Hollyprune, how am I supposed to mention him when all you want to do is battle all day?"

Grushulk seemed to have had enough, and rounded on the two girls.

"What am I supposed to do with the two of you? Honestly, you're going to scare away our guest. Now, hurry inside and tell Mapleburn that I've arrived with our guest."

The two girls finally hurried inside, leaving Harry alone with Grushulk again. Harry let out a sigh of relief, as he was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by their excitement, especially so soon after the mobbing he had received earlier. Grushulk noticed his weariness, and hurried him inside to a mostly empty kitchen. There, a female goblin, presumably Mapleburn, cold be seen stirring something inside of a large pot on the stove. Harry was ushered onto one of the wooden stools surrounding a sturdy, oak kitchen table.

Grushulk approached Mapleburn and greeted her quietly, letting Harry have a brief moment of peace and quiet. Of course, that was when the two girls from before came rolling into the kitchen in a tangled pile of limbs. Grushulk paused his conversation, and was about to step in, if Mapleburn hadn't beat him to it.

Stomping over angrily, the female goblin yanked he two apart by the scruffs of their necks, and chastised them. "Hollyprune, what did your father say to you outside? Honestly, do you ever listen? And Thornberry, you of all goblins should know better than to get into fights. What happened to that decorum that Grushulk was telling me about just a moment ago?"

Both girls looked properly ashamed, but Hollyprune still had a spark in her eyes.

"Well, what are we supposed to do? Look at him, he's so weak. I mean, really, isn't he supposed to be the next king?" Thornberry rounded on her and started arguing.

"Didn't I just tell you about what my father said? He…"

"No! I don't care! A true warrior should have fought back against people like that, even if they were relatives!"

Harry had been confused at first, but then it all finally clicked. Thornberry must have been Ragnok's daughter, as that would explain some of the things she had said earlier. But now, he was feeling angry at the girl's words. What right did she have to judge his actions in a situation she had never been in before? Suddenly, Harry had this strong urge to prove himself, and show this girl just what he could do.

Grushulk must have noticed the expressions rapidly flitting across his face, and made a suggestion.

"Well then, if you think he's so weak, why don't you face him in combat? A little spar before dinner couldn't hurt."

Hollyprune had a fire in her eyes, and immediately rushed out of the room, only to come back a moment later with a heavy-looking axe in her hands and wearing a bit of leather armor.

Harry, who had been momentarily stunned by the suggestion, hurried to follow her outside to where she was already marking out a ring.

Grushulk appeared beside him and said, "You might want to take this seriously. From what I understand, this will be your first time in a fight, but it won't be your last. Holly has been fighting since she was a toddler, and has more experience. You, on the other hand, may be inexperienced, but you have power. You also have a will to survive that has been honed by the experiences your relatives put you through. This may only be a spar, but in our culture, not giving it your all is an insult to your opponent. Show her, and the world, that you're ready to fight."

With that, Grushulk motioned to Harry's bag that had been ignored thus far. Immediately understanding what the older goblin was referring to, Harry knelt down and dug his hand into the bag. After fumbling for a bit, he pulled out the beautiful armor he had stashed away from his vault.

Harry slowly strapped on each piece of the beautiful armor, admiring its shimmering features. When each piece had been strapped on, it fitted itself automatically to Harry's slight form. Next, Harry pulled out the battle fans that had come with the armor. He didn't really know how to use them, but when his hands wrapped around their forms, the weapons hummed and warmed reassuringly, giving him a confidence boost. Behind him, his wings, which had been demurely folded down, flared out to their full size, painting an intimidating picture to those who were watching.

The whole set glowed as soon as he had settled into it, and Harry could feel a brief pull on his magic. That was probably the feeling of the armor bonding to his magical signature. Soon after the armor finished, it was time for the two children to battle.

Grushulk stood in the center of their battle ring, Stripe around his shoulders, between the two opponents. Briefly, he explained the rules of their bout.

"There will be no serious injury. I don't want any maiming or serious broken bones. The winner will be declared when one of you either forfeits the battle or is declared unfit. Are there any more questions? No? Then let the battle begin!"

Immediately, Harry jumped back to give himself more space from his opponent. Briefly, he eyed her and made a few quick observations. First, and foremost, she was a close-range fighter. An axe that cumbersome couldn't be thrown, so in order to hit an opponent, she had to get in close. Second, she was experienced. That meant that she would have some technique with her swings. Third, she was slow. That axe was heavy, which meant that she wouldn't be able to dodge blows, but would instead try to block or fight right through them.

Coming to a conclusion, Harry determined that in order to hit her, he would have to fight from a distance, and avoid getting close by any means necessary. Harry didn't want to use his wings and fly, as that would be cheating. So, he did the next best thing, which was to tap into his powers that he had noticed before his inheritance.

So, dodging a swing from the wildly charging girl, Harry did his best to focus his mind on the ground in the ring. It took several tries, and several narrowly-dodged hits, but eventually, Harry managed to connect with seeds from deep underground. Mustering up his will, the plants rapidly grew and erupted from the ground in a spray of dirt and mud. Green vines waved in the air, several feet high, before swooping down and entangling Hollyprune. She valiantly tried to fight away the tendrils, and even managed to chop off a few pieces, but in the end, there were simply too many of them and they managed to ensnare her.

Grushulk called the match, and Harry focused his will on the tendrils, coaxing them to let the goblin girl down and retreat back in the ground. The earth inside the ring had been trashed as well, so, feeling guilty about the mess, Harry used his powers to reform the ground back into a clean, unmarred surface. In the background, a pouting Hollyprune stood, mad about her loss and not understanding why. Grushulk approached Harry to hand Stripe back over, and the snake eagerly slithered back around his charge's shoulders and hissed compliments about the fight.

The moment was interrupted by Mapleburn's voice calling them inside to clean up before dinner, as it was going on the table. With that, a stampede of hungry children, followed by a bemused adult goblin, hurried inside where delicious scents were escaping.


End file.
